Sgt Grit – I have been looking at my dress greens hanging in my closet for many years now and it just doesn’t seem right. They are there because they mean too much to me but no one, and rarely myself will ever see them. I tried them on recently and apparently they used some weird material (51 years ago) because the uniform has really shrunk! I can’t even get the coat on over my shoulders and I’d have to use bungee cords to fasten the front if I did get it on. I’m certain the muscle in my body didn’t expand THAT much! I recently saw a thing on TV showing a very kind person that made teddy bears from military uniforms. My sister-in-law (Deb) is a schoolteacher (elementary grades) and an expert with a sewing machine. After very little begging and pleading, she offered to make a teddy bear for me, which I have labeled “Corporal Kenny.” Rather than make the teddy bear from the uniform, she made the teddy bear from suede leather because it somewhat resembled fur. Then she cut the uniform down to size to fit the teddy bear. While reducing the size of the uniform, she was careful to retain the original shoulder patches and belt. The belt and hat both still have my original name stamp on the inside. I’ve attached some pictures to show the final product. One picture is with me so you can get an idea of the size of the teddy bear (not me). Others shows a closer look the bear, the detail on the arm and pocket, and the dress shoes and shoe laces. The only problem now is finding just the right spot in the house to display Corporal Kenny, and it will be out in the open because I think it is really neat. Deb said it was labor intensive but she would be maybe willing to make a few more if somebody else wanted one. She is not looking for a career on the sewing machine however and it would be on her schedule. You can email me if interested. Maybe this would be an opportunity for somebody else that has experience with making teddy bears to jump in here to offer their services. I just know that I’m very pleased with Corporal Kenny and glad to see my uniform come back to life.
Cpl Ken Schweim
1854977
1959 Platoon 104