Korean War-Era Hand-Painted Military Footlocker

The Story

A soldier's whole story, painted on a lid. This military footlocker came home to Ellwyn D. Miner of Box 318, Long Pine, Nebraska — and somewhere along the way it was decorated the way the best service trunks were: by hand. The gray lid carries his name in blackletter, two unit crests, a pair of four-engine transport aircraft, a red banner, and the flag of the United Nations — the mark of Far East service in the Korean War era. The front panel still bears the stenciled military address through Naha, Okinawa, APO San Francisco. Folk-art militaria like this was made once, for one man, and never again. Sound, latching, and ready to serve as a coffee table, blanket chest, or the best-looking storage in the house.

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