• WASHINGTON
The Pentagon and the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) team from the Fort Myer, Va., Exchange teamed up on short notice — and during the end-of-year holidays — to provide a uniform fitting for a service member who was receiving the Medal of Honor.
On Dec. 20, Pentagon Military Clothing Store (MCS) Manager Karen Anderson was contacted by the Assistant Secretary of the Army’s office, requesting a fitting for Spec. 4 Kenneth J. David, who was receiving the Medal of Honor and needed an Army Green Service Uniform.
The request was for a fitting on New Year’s Eve, three days before David’s ceremony. With the New Year’s holiday coming, Anderson asked that the fitting be done on Dec. 30 to provide a little more cushion for alterations.
Although she was on leave, Anderson came in Dec. 30 to do the fitting, which involved working with the Fort Myer Exchange team in nearby Arlington, Va. Tailor Steve Kim worked alterations, while Fort Belvoir/Fort Myer Services Business Manager Veronica Reese made sure everything was done as quickly as possible.
TURBULENCE
David’s flight from Ohio was delayed five-and-a-half hours. He was supposed to arrive at the store at 2 p.m. but couldn’t get there until after his plane landed in Washington, D.C. after 5 p.m. Anderson checked with Fort Myer Shift Manager David Endicott to keep the facility open after hours, and with Kimand Reese to see whether they were able to stay after the 6 p.m. closing time. They quickly said yes, and David and his escorts made it to the store at 6:15 p.m.
THE HONOREE
David was honored for actions during the Vietnam War. On May 7, 1970, at the time a private first class serving as a radio-telephone operator with Company D, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, his company came under intense enemy attack, and the company’s platoon leader was mortally wounded.
“Without hesitation, Private First Class David handed his radio to his platoon sergeant and moved forward to the defensive perimeter, unleashing a barrage of automatic weapons fire on the enemy,” according to his entry at the Medal of Honor website (https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/kenneth-j-david).
“Each time the enemy attempted to concentrate its fire on the wounded inside the perimeter, Private First Class David would jump from his position and yell to draw the enemy fire away from his injured comrades and back to himself.
“Despite being wounded by an exploding satchel charge and running low on ammunition, David continued to fight, drawing fire away from incoming Medevac helicopters, allowing other wounded to be safely evacuated. He also dragged a wounded Solider to safety, then continued to fight until the enemy fled, after which he was also evacuated.”
REQUEST FOR FITTING
At the time, David was 20 years old. He left the Army as a Spec 4. When the request for the fitting came in, he had not worn a uniform in many years. Anderson, who has been with the Exchange for 35 years, knew there would be issues with the fitting before he arrived.
She was sent David’s measurements in advance — but they were done by Men’s Wearhouse, and an Army uniform is measured differently from a civilian suit.
Anderson pre-pulled pants and coats in various sizes, then had David try them on to find the best fit. Once that was determined, Reese asked Kim how quickly he could make any alterations.
“He had to hem the pants, he had to sew things on the jacket,” Anderson said. “And he said, ‘Miss Karen, I can have it done by noon tomorrow.’”
On Dec. 31, Anderson resumed her leave. The uniform was ready before noon. Reese turned it over to David’s escort at noon Dec. 31. “It was a less than 24-hour turnaround,” Anderson said.
INVITED GUEST
On New Year’s Day, Anderson heard from Samantha Youngblood, deputy chief, Strategic Initiatives Group Operations, Assistant Secretary of the Arm
“Karen, I know you’re on vacation,” she said. “But you need to read your email.”
Anderson replied, “You got another uniform to be done?”
It wasn’t a request for another uniform — it was an invitation to the Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House.
“They sent me information about where everyone was meeting … and buses would be taking us to the White House and back,” Anderson said.
“It was a very nice surprise. I’ve done maybe 10 of these in my career, and this was the first time I was invited to the ceremony.”
OTHER ATTENDEES
Among the attendees at the ceremony were Gen. Randy George, chief of staff of the Army; Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer; and retired Gen. Mark Milley, who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from Oct. 1, 2019, until his retirement on Sept. 29, 2023.
Anderson knows all of them — they are among her regular customers.
“SMA Weimer is in the building,” she said. “He loves to come down to the store and see us and do his own shopping. Gen. George is also a regular. It was great to see Gen. Milley, who has been one of my customers since he was Army chief of staff. I saw him come in to the ceremony, but when we are at the reception, I kind of had my back turned to him. He tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘I don’t get a hug, a hello or anything?’ I said,’ Sure you do!’”
Anderson added that Weimer, an Exchange board member, asked for the names of everyone who helped her take care of David.
“He said he’d never seen any type of turnaround like that in his career with no complaints,” she said. “I said, ‘No sir, we wouldn’t complain. That’s not what we do. We’re family serving family. That’s the way I treat my customers. They come in, they’re part of the family. We treat everyone the same, whether they’re a private or a four-star general.’”
AAFES BRAND
On her suit jacket, Anderson wore a pin with the Exchange brand. While she was at the hotel waiting for security, she noticed two men staring at her.
“I looked up and finally said, ‘Hi,’ and one of them said, ‘I know we’re staring. Can we ask you a question?’ I said, ‘Sure,’ and they said, ‘Do you work for the Exchange?’ and I said, ‘I do.’”
The men, who were retired Soldiers, wanted to know whether they could buy a uniform like David’s. She told them they could, and when they said they didn’t have access to the Pentagon, she told them about the Fort Myer and Fort Belvoir MCSs.
She also told them about the Military Star Card, saying that if they didn’t have one, they could apply, and use the card in the main Exchanges as well as at the MCSs.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
A small kicker to all of this: Dec. 31 happened to be Anderson’s 60th birthday.
“I told the people who invited me to the ceremony, ‘Y’all just gave me a wonderful birthday present’,” she said. “The ceremony was icing on the cake for my birthday week.”
Source: AAFES
Edited by Larry Lapka
