Vietnam veteran receives replacement uniform after house fire

For Vietnam veteran Buddy Bozeman, his military uniform is more than fabric and insignia. It represents pride, service, and a reminder of a chapter of life he never wanted to lose.

Bozeman, who lives in Neshoba County, was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam from 1970 to 1972. A decade later, the uniform he cherished was destroyed in a house fire.

“It was back in ’83,” Bozeman said. “We lost our home. I lost my military uniform. It was a total loss.”

The Bozemans had their home on Deemer Road rebuilt and moved back in by March 1984, but the loss of the uniform lingered.

“I take my uniform very seriously,” he said. “I was proud to serve. I wanted to get me another one to hand down to my son.”

Over the years, Bozeman tried to replace it. He contacted Fort Polk in Louisiana and Fort McClellan in Alabama, where a military depot once operated, but came up empty-handed.

“No one had Vietnam-era military,” he said.

Then one day, while watching the television show “American Pickers,” Bozeman noticed something familiar.

An episode featured the Indiana Military Museum, and as the cameras panned through the building, he saw rows of Class A uniforms hanging in the background.

“I saw all these Class A’s hanging up,” he said. “So we got the phone number, and I called.”

Bozeman explained to the museum that he had lost his uniform in a fire and was hoping to purchase a replacement.

After speaking with museum staff, Bozeman worked with the museum’s chairman of the board, Jim Osborne, and Mike Doyle, who also assisted, and was asked to send his measurements.

Several weeks later, the phone rang.

“He said, ‘I think we’ve got you fixed up,’” Bozeman recalled. “I said, ‘Will you let me know how much I owe?’ He said, ‘Only the postage. We’re giving you the uniform.’”

The package arrived, and while the pants fit perfectly, the coat did not.

“I should’ve measured my belly instead of my chest,” Bozeman laughed.

When he called the museum again, staff searched for another coat and found one that fit, before inviting Bozeman and his wife, Hazel, to Indiana for a visit and to pick it up in person.

The couple made the eight-and-a-half-hour drive and were told, when they walked in, that there would be no admission charge.

The museum also allowed them to take photos inside, which is something typically not permitted, and gave them a personal tour.

“They treat you like family,” Bozeman said. “Like they’ve known you all their life.”

Seeing the replacement uniform in person was emotional. The coat even bore the same rank on the sleeves.

“To get my uniform back,” he paused before adding, “money couldn’t buy it.”

Walking through the museum brought back memories. Bozeman said the experience reinforced how much more veterans are recognized today than in the past.

“They’re recognized more today than they’ve ever been,” he said. “Everywhere you go, people say, ‘Thank you for your service.’”

Bozeman believes museums like the Indiana Military Museum also play an important role in educating younger generations.

“Freedom isn’t free,” Bozeman said. “Young people need to go and see what it’s like.”

He and his wife plan to return in May to see more of the museum, its military reenactments, and the display tanks.

He’s even arranged to have a commemorative brick placed on the sidewalk outside the museum in his name.

As for the people who made it all possible, Bozeman says, “Thank you! Thank you for what you’re doing. These people are extra nice, and they want you to come see the museum.”

For Bozeman, the replacement uniform restored something he thought was gone forever. It’s not just a piece of clothing. It’s a piece of his story.

Visit the Indiana Military Museum online.