POW made coat? I do indeed still have my little general’s coat (0ne star). My Mom kept it in a camphor chest nearly forever and for the last couple decades it’s been in a cedar chest except for breaking it out for show and tell.
It’s made from salvaged OD wool material from a damaged overcoat. They told us at the time that they could only used salvaged material since new cloth was reserved for the troops.
The GIs gave me a slightly damaged helmet liner so’s I could play like I was a really big deal. When they knocked the camp down they gave me a bat and soft ball. We played with that ball until we knocked the cover off of it. And I kept the bat until it warped so bad it was pretty much just a stick.
I still have my English public school jacket and cap from when I was 5. My mom saved it for me. I get it out for show and tell too. All my kids got to try it on when they were young and asked, “Did you really have to wear that to school?”
“Every day”
It is amazing what memories come back from old stuff. Your story is great. You should write it down and put it in a pocket of the coat.