Suits For a Soldier From a Soldier

My 92 year old father in law, Wayne, tells a story from 1933 where his oldest brother Brad was graduating from high school and needed a suit. His Kansas farming family scraped together the $15 to buy him a new suit for the occasion. A year or two later the next brother Howard was graduating but there was no money to buy him a new suit so his mother altered Brad’s suit to fit Howard. That same suit was altered for brothers George and then Wayne for their High School graduations.

83 years later, Farmers Insurance Group has a “Suits for Soldiers” campaign to aid soldiers transitioning from military to civilian life with proper business attire. My wife mentioned this to her father and the World War II Naval Officer went to his closet and pulled out 3 suits to contribute.

I believe it was Tom Brokaw who popularized the term “The Greatest Generation” in referencing the generation of Americans who grew up during the Depression, went on to fight in WWII, then built post war America. This generation was hard working, optimistic about the future, and generous in helping others. Although it has been 71 years since he was in the Navy, my father in law continues to encourage those who have served to defend our great country.

If you have any suits you would like to donate to a service man or woman transitioning to civilian life, you can drop them off at my office at 249 E Channel Islands Blvd. in Port Hueneme and I will get them to where they can be used.

Thank you for your help.