The father of Participant #41 brought home silk from Vietnam, so her mother had it made into a dress. It preserves the shape of her mother's body. There are mixed feelings toward it. She is happy she has it, but it also represents the tumultuous experiences her family was experiencing during the time. She plans to keep it as a dress because of what it represents. She never saw her mother wear it because she had some surguries and health issues, so her shape changed. Participant tried it on as a teenager to play dress-up, but she did not ever wear it out anywhere. Her father never talked much about the war. Her mother was pregnant with four small children while father was serving. People would put signs on their lawn that said "Baby Killer." When mom gave birth, the baby was stillborn. It was a very difficult time for the family.
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