My Z News

Back during WWII, Americans were part of what is known today as the “Greatest Generation.” That generation helped shape society into what it is today. They built roads and hospitals, fought and won wars, and their general resourcefulness and ingenuity led to America being hailed as a global superpower. It wasn’t just the men who took part in the war – women played key roles too. Many women of that era filled up the now-vacant manufacturing jobs, where they were a vital asset in helping to supply the war effort.

During the war and in the several years that followed, Americans were asked to make sacrifice a way of life – almost all essential supplies like textiles, metals, and various foods were heavily rationed, as those items were needed to supply soldiers on the front lines with uniforms, weapons and meals. It seems a far cry from the excesses we enjoy today, but back then you had to be really savvy to make the most out of limited resources.

71 years ago, a young soldier named Edwin Morgan returned safely from the war, only to be hit by Cupid’s arrow and fall in love with the girl next door, Betty. As the couple prepared for the upcoming nuptials on a limited budget, Betty wasn’t sure if she would be able to afford a wedding dress since fabrics were still scarce. Thankfully, Betty’s mother-in-law came through with a novel idea – why not make the dress from a German parachute that Edwin had taken as a souvenir during the war? With some work by a skilled tailor, the parachute was successfully turned into a wedding gown and – years later – into one heck of a story.

Read more: http://www.wimp.com/couple-recall-making-wedding-dress-from-parachute-wwii-rationing/