Memories: Funeral Home Suit

Not many people can say they’ve had the job they always wanted, but I did at an early age and that was serving as Sonny’s Military Caseworker and Military Legislative Assistant.

I remember the day I got the phone call from Sonny to come to Washington. After I hung up the phone, I quickly realized I had no business suits to wear since prior to this time the only suit of clothes I had to wear was the Air Force uniform. To assist me in my dilemma, my mother spoke to my Uncle Hansel Willis and Uncle Larry “Duke” Willis, both who were employed with Webb Funeral Home of Newton, in the hope they had some old suits I could wear. As you are probably aware, funeral homes keep their employees clothed in the finest quality suits for that type of business. As luck would have it they had some I could wear and on my first day on the job, I reported to Sonny in one of my finest Brooks Brothers suit and tie.

As part of the game in Washington, Sonny and his buddies, especially his old pal LTG John Conaway, Chief of the National Guard Bureau had a habit of when meeting their friends, to inspect your ties and suit coats to check the manufacturer. While standing in front of the office one day waiting to go to a hearing, the curiosity had finally gotten the best of Sonny, and he looked at my coat and saw the Brooks Brothers tag and immediately asked, “How much am I paying you”!

From that day forward, he always made jokes about me getting my clothes from the funeral home!

Shared by Bo Maske, former Military Legislative Assistant, G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery

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