My first shoes
A few years ago on eBay, I happened onto this photo of baby me and Coast Guardsman Joseph Hegner, who'd made me my first pair of shoes. I bought it. I have old news clippings of the captioned photo that appeared in various newspapers of the time, and I'm happy to now have the original photo. (The image shown here is how it appeared on eBay. The actual photo doesn't have writing across it.)
On the back:
Public Relations Division
U.S. Coast Guard
Washington, D.C.
Released for publication 13 Mar 1945
ALL GOD'S CHILDREN GOT SHOES
*No ration points are needed as Coast Guardsman Joseph Hegener, Chief Boatswain's Mate, makes a pair of canvas shoes for a happy repatriot child, Eleanor Ruth Austen, who is en route from the Far East to a new home in the United States. She took her first steps on the Coast Guard-manned troop transport in the shoes made by Chief Hegener. The little girl's mother died in India and her father, Army Sgt. James F. Austen, Jr. is bringing her to his home in St. Louis, MO. Chief Hegener lives at 3406 Newton Street, Mt. Ranier, MD.*
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