After the end of the Second World War, Major Claude Hensinger returned to his native Pennsylvania. He began dating a girl called Ruth, whom he had known since childhood.
In 1947 Claude asked Ruth to marry him, but instead of the ring, he brought a parachute. Claude said that during the war it had saved his life. He safely parachuted to the ground from a burning plane. He had then used it to shelter him in bad weather and to bandage his wounds. Claude asked Ruth to make a wedding dress out of the parachute.
Ruth said twice: “Yes.” She enlisted the help of a seamstress to cut the bodice and veil and sewed the skirt herself. Ruth wore a parachute dress to the wedding. The groom and the guests loved the outfit. The wedding dress became a family heirloom and was worn by several brides over the years.
Claude passed away in 1996. The couple lived together for 49 years. The parachute wedding dress is now housed in the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of American History.
