Reference

Mary Babnik Brown's hair played a crucial role in the war effort during World War II. Her hair was used to create crosshairs for bombsights in military aircraft. The reason her hair was chosen was due to its exceptional length, strength, and uniformity, which were ideal qualities for the precision required in bombsight technology. Her donation was significant because high-quality synthetic alternatives were not available at the time, and natural materials like her hair were necessary to ensure accuracy in targeting. This contribution was kept secret during the war, and she was only informed of the specific use of her hair many years later.