Today’s entry on Gus’ Gear will be a short one due to the limited material with this grouping. This is the second complete uniform I acquired. Casper J. Henscheid was the husband of our local librarian, who I became acquainted with when I was young. She had heard the story of me saving a WWI uniform while I was visiting Austria and told Casper that I would be a good person to take care of his uniform. This was the first of a number of local Veteran’s uniforms that have been placed in my care over the years. At this time, most of those uniforms are on display at our local county museum.
Seaman Henscheid’s uniform cosists of his flat hat with U.S. Navy talley, jumper, broad fall trousers and scarf. Casper showed me how the scarf should be tied and I have not untied it since he tied it.
This note was written by Amelia, Casper’s wife, it says;
World War I U.S. Navy Dress Blues Complements – Casper J. Henscheid Enlisted. Trained at Bremerton, Washington Boarded U.S.S. Western Spirit Sailed to Iqueque, Chile – back through Panama Canal to Newport News, Va. Picked up convoy at Halifax, Nova Scotia On to La Palice, France-Back to Newport News, Va. Another trip to France- Breste Released as a Reserve at Newport. War ended while on the high seas.
Signed Casper J. Henscheid
(Still a perfcit fit, October 29, 1973)
Sadly I did not get a photo of Casper in his uniform. His ship carried nitrogen from Chile for the making of explosives. The type of nitrogen that they would have picked up would have been bat guano.
This is a photo of the U.S.S. Western Spirit in its dazzle camouflage paint.
This is Casper’s Dixie cup cap, showing his initials sewn in the sweat band.
This is Casper’s name stenciled in the cuff of his trousers.
And for Joe, a montage of desert wild flowers Maggie put together after an outing in the desert this spring.