Cairo conference vet uniform
I picked up this uniform from eBay a few weeks ago. On the surface it doesn’t seem like an extremely desirable example, but the story behind it certainly changes that in my opinion.
This uniform belonged to a 'Donald Mathey' of South Dakota. He was an engineer in North Africa during WWII. Inside one of the pockets of this jacket there was an old newspaper cutout that had been folded. The article is an interview The veteran did with his local newspaper where he describes his time with the army during the war.
He didn’t see any combat, but he did witness German planes fly over from Crete to drop bombs near the area he was stationed at.
What I find fascinating though is that this man was selected to be an honor guard for the Cairo conference that took place in 1943. He mentions in the interview how he actually got to see important historical figures such as Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, and Chiang Kai Shek.
This man may have not been dodging bullets in combat, but he certainly got to take part in a very historic moment in world history.
Just thought you guys would enjoy seeing this set. It’s not everyday you get a written interview from the vet with a piece you buy.
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by CBH
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