Hendersonville thrift store sends WWII uniform to VFW Post 9851

A World War II uniform that arrived in a box at the Hendersonville Samaritan Center is now in the hands of VFW Post 9851, where volunteers plan to preserve it.

The uniform belonged to Sgt. Harold Goodrich, who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps. A family brought it to the Samaritan Center's thrift store, telling executive director Kyle Hill it was "Uncle H's uniform" and that it had been sitting in a box for years, NewsChannel 5 reported.

Hill told NewsChannel 5 that the thrift store's proceeds go to the center's crisis services and food bank, but he knew this item was different. He said he couldn't put a price on something that belonged to a real person.

"I can't sell that. I've gotta preserve that," Hill said.

He contacted VFW Post 9851 on New Shackle Island Road. The post took the uniform in.

Bob Underwood, who is caring for the uniform at the VFW post, found clues about Goodrich's life tucked inside. Underwood said staff sergeant patches in one pocket suggested Goodrich had been expecting a promotion. In the shirt pocket was an Arthur Murray Dance class attendance card from November 1945, complete with instructions for specific dance steps.

Hill said the card showed Goodrich was paying for dance lessons and learning the foxtrot. That detail, Hill told NewsChannel 5, made the uniform feel less like an artifact and more like a window into a real person's life.

The family who donated the uniform didn't share much about Goodrich's history. Hill said he has posted on the Hendersonville Samaritan Center's Facebook page hoping someone in the community can fill in the blanks.

Underwood said the uniform may eventually go to a museum. He said the VFW wants to make sure the stories of veterans who came before are not forgotten.

The Samaritan Center, located at 116 Dunn St., also recently received a WWII draft card for a man named Clyde William Marr, dated Jan. 15, 1943. It turned up inside a donated billfold.

Residents who recognize Goodrich's name or have information about his service can reach the Hendersonville Samaritan Center through its Facebook page or visit the thrift store at 116 Dunn St. VFW Post 9851 is located at 778 New Shackle Island Road.