Historical post on the Blonde Bomber

[musicman]

If I would have had more information earlier, I would have posted this on her birthday, November 22.  I had heard the story of "a woman" that donated her hair for the Norden Bomb sight during WWII, but never knew her name, or anything about her story, until someone told me about her today.  The Army had tried all manner of strands of stuff for developing the cross-hairs for the Norden Bomb Sight, and finally concluded that they needed blonde hair strands at least 22 inches long, that had never been touched by dye or chemicals, or a curling iron.  They put ads out in newspapers seeking this for the "war effort" for "meteorological instruments."  A young gal from Colorado named Mary Babnik Brown had knee length hair that she had never even cut.  She answered the ad, and the Army got it from her.  They offered to pay her in war stamps, but she refused, saying, it was what she wanted to do for the War effort.  She never knew that her hair was used in the Norden Bomb Sight until her final years.  The Norden Bomb Sight was a game winner for our "Daylight Precision Bombing" campaign in both theaters of the War.  President Ronald Reagan sent her an official commendation on her 80th birthday.  The Air Force Academy had a special celebration in her honor around that time as well.  I think it is a cool story.  MM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Babnik_Brown

[terminator]

Cool story.That is some interesting history.

[grizzly340]

That is A cool story. thanks for sharing.

[badsection]

Interesting! I wonder if they could do that today. 

[Blackbear3]

Neat piece of history, Thanks for sharing.