This khaki brown U.S. Army uniform served at the embarrassing beginning to a young man’s military career. Carl arrived at a routine accountability formation to ridicule and laughter at his expense. Rather than wearing the correct and complete required uniform, he wore an assortment of the uniform variations. Rather than turning this rocky start into a short-lived army career, this humbling experience served as a catalyst for Carl’s fine tuned attention to detail. Carl served over thirty years in the U.S. Army, retiring at the rank of Warrant Officer Four and continues to receive 75 percent of his monthly income, received while he served in the Army. Between his retirement pay and 100 percent disability from the Department of Veterans Affairs, he earns over $8,000/month, tax free. It’s fair to say that Carl now has the last laugh.
Listen to Carl’s story in his own words:
This object is part of the “Unconventional Wisdom” section of the Artifacts of Experience exhibition designed by University of Cincinnati students in the “Introduction to Public History” course in 2023.
We encourage you to explore the other objects in our collection.