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1919 USMC Booklet Paris Island


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CNY Militaria

I recently got this item in a large box lot at an auction. It is a souvenier book training with Marines at Paris Island in 1918. The Copyright of the book is 1918, and the marine wrote his name on the inside and dated it 1919. It has a lot of interetsing USMC training pictures in there, with some great uniform pics! The 1942 dated newspaper from Syracuse, NY was inbetween a few of the pages, and shows loacl Marine recruits just before leaving. Unfortunately, the front and back cover have detached, but they are still present. Has anyone seen this type of item before?

 

Thanks!

Justin

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Schottzie: Yes, I've got one and they can go for a bit of money (I think somewhere between $100 and 250 on ebay)...they also were reproduced in NH a number of years ago can can be found from about $10-40 but yours is an original! I really like the book and the images are great....my interest was a marine I've got the papers of was the Assistant XO when the place stood up and a Company Commander later there before leaving for France. Another great find on your part!

 

 

BTW if Guy Fitch is the name I read .....he came in Jul 1918 spent whole time at Paris Island in a number of assignments before being discharged in May 1919....

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CNY Militaria

Guy Fitch is the name, thanks for looking it up! Interesting information indeed, I didn't expect that it books like this sell for THAT much on ebay. Its a shame this one has the detached covers, It probably lowers the value a bit.

Thanks again!

Justin

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Like everything Marine...the prices are a bit nuts...one guy tried to sell one for $499...but without takers....but this little book still commands a good price....given how fragile they are, how many could have survived....and when you consider the place became a training location (using the old Port Royal Naval base) at the end of Oct 1915....this book records well those early years as it expanded to handle the WWI Marines.

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BTW if Guy Fitch is the name I read .....he came in Jul 1918 spent whole time at Paris Island in a number of assignments before being discharged in May 1919....

 

Name: Guy S Fitch

Age in 1910: 11

Estimated birth year: abt 1899

Birthplace: New York

Relation to Head of House: Son

Father's Birth Place: New York

Mother's name: Mary G

Mother's Birth Place: New York

Home in 1910: Syracuse Ward 6, Onondaga, New York

 

There was a Guy S Fitch Jr from Utica, NY, born in about 1922 who served in WWII and later acted in a couple of Hollywood movies.

 

Wonder why Guy Sr. only served a year or so in the Corps? Was that because of the post=war reduction of forces?

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CNY Militaria
Name: Guy S Fitch

Age in 1910: 11

Estimated birth year: abt 1899

Birthplace: New York

Relation to Head of House: Son

Father's Birth Place: New York

Mother's name: Mary G

Mother's Birth Place: New York

Home in 1910: Syracuse Ward 6, Onondaga, New York

 

There was a Guy S Fitch Jr from Utica, NY, born in about 1922 who served in WWII and later acted in a couple of Hollywood movies.

 

Wonder why Guy Sr. only served a year or so in the Corps? Was that because of the post=war reduction of forces?

 

 

Well that would explain the local newspaper, I bet his son is standing in the group photo ready to go off into the marines!

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Yes, he was discharged at the "convenience of the government" i.e. part of the post WWI draw down...not so uncommon for a number of Marines I've come across on the muster rolls for that time....Fitch does seem to hold the record for a quick enlistment... but a brief scan of the rolls shows no problems with him...also just saw he was cook

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Justin: From what I've seen for non-wartime enlistments from my period of interest: four years with some adding additional years at their request.....I am pretty sure for WWI it was for the period of the war.....funny though the rolls also show some of these later entry guys staying on for a full tour....maybe if you had the desire, a clean record and a skill the service wanted they allowed you to stay. Maybe Guy was happy to return to civilian life.

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Guy Fitch, like so many others who joined in 1918, was assigned to the USMC Reserves. After the war ended, many of these guys were simply discharged after one year. As I PM'd Justin, I have papers for a man who only served 7 months (trained as a machine gunner in Cuba, was sent to a deployment depot, and then given his walking papers)before being discharged with excellent character. There just wasn't much room for these guys in the Corps after the war ended.

 

Ken

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Ok, I don't normally do this...but I am in the process of working out a trade deal with this book for something else. What fair market value should be attached to this particular book? I realize its hard to pinpoint this based on such a large range, but taking into consideration it is named with a bit of history including the newspaper article, yet has a detached cover. Any opinions on what it could sell for would be appreciated!

Justin

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Ok, I don't normally do this...but I am in the process of working out a trade deal with this book for something else. What fair market value should be attached to this particular book? I realize its hard to pinpoint this based on such a large range, but taking into consideration it is named with a bit of history including the newspaper article, yet has a detached cover. Any opinions on what it could sell for would be appreciated!

Justin

 

 

This one sold for $45: http://www.scuttlebuttsmallchow.com/withma...tparisisle.html - someone published a copy in 1994 and those liast fir $25.

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I saw that one on the net...it seems to be the only one I could find anywhere online, but thats a reproduction copy.

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teufelhunde.ret
Anyone?

 

The last one I saw on ebay that had an inscription, was over a year ago and sold for over $90, as I recall. As for "Paris" and "Parris":

 

An early consequence of the rapid growth due to the war was a change in the designation of the installation, the discussion of the other changes will be facilitated if we note this change of designation first. The precipitating cause was the swollen volume of mail for the station, as is clearly implied in the directive ordering the change. This was Marine Corps Order No. 27, dated 22 June 1917, which reads as follows: "At the request of the Postmaster General and in order to avoid delay in the delivery of mail, it is directed that the official designation of the Marine Corps post at Port Royal, S. C., be changed from Marine Barracks, "Port Royal", S. C., to Marine Barracks, "Paris Island", S. C. Mail intended for this post will be addressed accordingly." The spelling of "Paris" with one "r" was the official version until the spelling with two "r's" was directed by Marine Corps Order No. 32, dated 3 May 1919. The latter was issued on the recommendation of Brigadier General Joseph H. Pendleton, then in command of the post, who enclosed with his letter a copy of Bulletins of the Historical Commission of South Carolina, No. 5, to support his contention that "the proper historical manner of spelling the name of this Island" was with two "r's." Extracted from the MARINE CORPS HISTORICAL REFERENCE SERIES Number 8. http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/usmchist/parris.txt

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Justin: That ripped cover is a the down side to this item....paper guys like their stuff clean...if intact I think $100.00 is a fair price but as is try $75-80 and see what you can get....hell these are somewhat rare....and you do have a bit of history on him. Dirk

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jason.....Great USMC Recruiting Brochure! I pick these when I can and that's one I don't have. One of the things about these brochures is that the information found therein can be counted on to be the straight scoop about things USMC of the the period. So in addition to having great covers and photos I find them to be excellent reference material. Here a few more: 1913 Copyright

 

1913_Copyright_Frontispiece.JPG1913_copyright.JPG

 

April 1918 - 8th EditionCover_April_1__1918_8th_Edition.JPG

 

 

August 1919 - 10th EditionCover_August_15__1919_10th_Edition.JPG

 

Enjoy! Semper Fi....Bobgee

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  • 7 years later...
SgtMaddoxUSMC

Love these! I am thinking about starting a thread dedicated to early USMC recruiting media! I have quite a few early pamplets etc that I need to photograph and show off! :D

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