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My father was an Army veteran – albeit a reluctant Korean war draftee — from Pasadena, California. He had just earned his master’s degree in cultural anthropology and was well-heeled having spent time in Japan, Hawaii, Brazil, Paris and Turkey before serving in Korea. He never spoke of his war experience but a few old photos of him with a French Legion troop show what tough and hard-scrabble soldiers they were. He was a jeep driver and courier – driving for miles over the hilly Korean terrain. He earned his anthropology doctorate after the war and, upon returning to the US, he bought a 1963 VW Bug. That was the only car he ever owned and I think it was a lot like the jeep he drove. One day he painted it baby blue.

When I saw the Smeg refrigerator in baby blue, I thought of my dad’s baby blue bug. The Smeg would be the only refrigerator for him – a design of an era long ago, curved and in colors that are a vast contrast to today’s stainless steel. To all of our veterans and service men and women, we honor and thank you. To all of our bug drivers who appreciate color and curves, we proudly carry Smeg.