War leaves lasting legacies, sometimes in places and ways that we least expect. That was the story behind the headline in October 1951 about a wedding in Vermilion Parish involving a World War II veteran and his friends.

The headline read: "Gray Gloves Worn by War Veteran Change an Acadian Wedding Custom."

In those days it was the fashion for the groom and groomsmen to wear white gloves at a formal wedding. But this time would be a bit different, more memorable.

"A young World War II veteran was getting married," reporter Joe Choate wrote in the Lafayette newspaper, "and the wedding had to be an all-day formal affair according to custom. The bride-to-be selected her maid of honor and bridesmaids early. She had to. They all had to have time to buy the latest organdy and pique to have their ... gowns and matching hats made.

"The groom-to-be selected his best man early, too. They had to have time to rent the formal dress and get versed on the accessories that would match the dress of the groom."

They found one detail that was different from other formal weddings.

The groom had been severely wounded in the war and one of his arms had been amputated. The artificial arm that replaced it had a gray glove affixed to it that could not be easily removed. To solve the problem, the groom decided to wear a matching gray glove on his good hand rather than to mix a white one on the good hand and keep his gray one on the artificial arm.

"When the best man and the groomsmen learned of this," the newspaper reported, "they journeyed to Abbeville in a body, returned the white gloves they had purchased and exchanged them for gray gloves."

Thus it was that the groom and his attendants wore the same ensemble for the wedding ceremony, and also during the reception that followed.

None of the male attendants removed their gloves during that reception, because "they did not want to make it obvious that the groom was not removing his because of his artificial hand."

The adaptation was apparently remembered and emulated.

"Thus, in a gesture of community unity, a long-standing Cajun custom was amended," Choate wrote. "There have been several formal weddings in the area since the amputee's -- all grooms and male attendants wearing gray gloves instead of white."

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You can contact Jim Bradshaw at jhbradshaw@bellsouth.net or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.