Just taking a look at this vintage 1947 wedding dress that’s on display at the Smithsonian and you’d have no idea it’s actually made from the parachute of the groom who was in WWII.
From the site:
This wedding dress was made from a nylon parachute that saved the groom’s life during World War II. Maj. Claude Hensinger, a B-29 pilot, and his crew, were returning from a bombing raid over Yowata, Japan, in August 1944 when their engine caught fire. The crew was forced to bail out. It was night and Major Hensinger landed on some rocks and suffered some minor injuries. During the night he used the parachute both as a pillow and a blanket. In the morning the crew was able to reassemble and were taken in by some friendly Chinese. He kept the parachute and used it as a way to propose to Ruth in 1947. He presented it to her and suggested she make a gown out of it for their wedding.
Read more about this heirloom parachute wedding dress at the Smithsonian web site. [ via ] Link.
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