devildog34 Posted August 6, 2012 Share #1 Posted August 6, 2012 A few months ago I was lucky enough to pick up a very nice post-WWII dress blue tunic to Lloyd B. Finley who Marine Corps career spanned nearly 30 years. This particular tunic is ultra special due to the fact that Finley was a fellow Oklahoman. Born in Healdton, Oklahoma which by 1913 was a boom town due to the rapidly emerging oil industry. Within a year of the discover of oil 120 oil companies were operating around modern Healdton making it a virtually overnight boom town. Finley was born October 7, 1921, the oldest of 6 children born to a farmer. By the 1930's and horrendous dust bowl conditions sweeping across the plains of Oklahoma and Texas, especially the panhandle and southern regions of Oklahoma. Healdton is on the border with Texas smack in the middle along the dried up Red River. The Finley family was undoubtedly swept up by the mass migration of disenfranchised Oklahoman devastated by the biblical drought-like conditions who uprooted and headed west to California. They of course became known as Okies. By 1939 Finley at the age of 18 enlisted in the Marine Corps out of Los Angeles. He was sent to MCRD San Diego for boot camp and assigned Battery D 1st Def. Bn where he was a member of a 3" gun crew. In Feb. he was assigned to Btry A of the battalion's 3" anti-air craft crew. He was later in August of 1941 assigned to the Medical Detachment of the 1st Defense battalion. He was of course one of the 450 Marines and sailors assigned to the garrison on Wake Island. He survived the first Japanese attack on Dec. 11 and again on Dec. 23rd when the garrison was overwhelmed. He was captured and imprisoned. Due to his length of service his service file was non-archivable so I was unable to obtain a full and complete file but I have enough info to get a basic outline of his service. I know that many Wake Island experts are hovering here and might be able to elaborate in greater detail his internment. His service file does not have an entry in this conduct record after Aug. 1941 again until July 1942 when he is reported under persons as POW or MIA. The next entry is 16 Oct. 1945 and whether or not this is his release I am sure Kurt S or others could give much better insight into. Nonetheless he was released from active duty January 1946 and reenlisted 5 November 1947. He was at Camp Pendelton. He was later assigned to Naval Airstation Moffett Field in California. He was then attached to casual company H&S battalion MCRD San Diego for a few days until he was assigned to the Marine detachment of the aircraft carrier USS Princeton, an essex class carrier, which had been recommissioned after WWII 28 August 1950. By December of 1950 the USS Princeton had joined task force 77 off the coast of Korea coast and provided air support over the embattled Hagaru region flying a total of 248 sorties in support of the Marines breaking out of the Chosin Reservoir region. Finley remained on the USS Princeton until August of 1951. (This accounts for the 2 stars on his Korean Service ribbon) In all the Princeton earned 8 battle stars for her service during the Korean war. Finley was later attached to the Marine Detachment at the US Naval Hospital Oakland, CA. He as later sent to the Naval hospital in San Francisco and again in Bremerton Washington. He was later assigned as a member of the I&I (inspector instructor) staff at the 8th AW battery in Bakersfield, CA. He was promoted to Tech. Sgt. and remained there until Feb. 1957 when he was discharged. He reenlisted a few days later and was with the I&I staff at Bakersfield until Feb. 1958 when he was sent to 29 Palms as a platoon sergeant with an AAA unit. He spent some time with Hq Co. 9th Marines attached to the division supply services and the "Entertainment NCO". In Oct. 1959 he was attached to Btry L 4th Bn 12th Marines and later Hqtrs 1st AAG 29 Palms unitl he was sent to MCRD San Diego and then to Co. F Headquarters Bn Headquarters Marine Corps Arlington, VA where he was to undergo instruction at Marine Corps Security Guard (MSG) in March 1963. By April 1963 he was released from Active Duty and remained in an inactive status until Oct. 1967 when was released from inactive reserve status. Finely died May 20, 1980 in Bakersfield, CA and is buried at Arvin Cemetery in Kern County California. The dress blues are obviously post war and the ribbons are the later thin version of the mid 1950's. I did not add these these are the ribbons that came on the tunic (the pistol sharpshooter medal was added by previous owner). I am of the opinion they were not the original but nonetheless they are the correct awards. The rank on the tunic as well as hash marks would lead one to believe this tunic was what he would have worn in the early to mid 1950's. The service file that lists FOIA info has this ribbon bar exactly as it would be and verifies the awards. His GCM lists a 6th award for total service from Oct. 1939-Nov. 1967, but from April 1963 to Nov. 1967 he was on an inactive status even though his FOIA decorations and awards verify a 6th award of this medal which is of course denoted by a silver star on the ribbon. His active duty service from 1939 until 1963 verifies his 6 GCM awards (24 total years of service). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share #2 Posted August 6, 2012 Closeup of the ribbons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share #3 Posted August 6, 2012 Another Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rakkasan187 Posted August 6, 2012 Share #4 Posted August 6, 2012 Awesome uniform.. Glad you were able to get it.. Leigh.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share #5 Posted August 6, 2012 Another Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share #6 Posted August 6, 2012 Trousers also named to him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share #7 Posted August 6, 2012 The tag in the blues tunic inside pocket with his name and service number that is verified in the records as his service number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share #8 Posted August 6, 2012 Photo of Finley from his file taken in '39 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share #9 Posted August 6, 2012 Record of his service/duty stations from his file Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share #10 Posted August 6, 2012 More from this service file Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share #11 Posted August 6, 2012 More from the service file Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share #12 Posted August 6, 2012 More from his service file Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share #13 Posted August 6, 2012 More Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share #14 Posted August 6, 2012 More Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share #15 Posted August 6, 2012 More Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share #16 Posted August 6, 2012 The last scan available from the FOIA request. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Barickman Posted August 6, 2012 Share #17 Posted August 6, 2012 Very nice and complete Kevin! Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fstop61 Posted August 7, 2012 Share #18 Posted August 7, 2012 Very nice uniform along with excellent information. I would've loved to had the chance to sit down and talk with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Dentino Posted August 7, 2012 Share #19 Posted August 7, 2012 Beautiful set of blues......the history really makes this special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobgee Posted August 8, 2012 Share #20 Posted August 8, 2012 Great Wake Island Defender uniform, Kevin. :thumbsup: Semper Fi........Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VG widger Posted December 16, 2020 Share #21 Posted December 16, 2020 I am not sure how I found this website so I excited to see your post of 2012 and hoping you are still available to talk. Lloyd B Finley was my father-in-law! His only child, Lloyd B. Finley Jr. (aka Ben) was my husband for 17 years. He and I are still in contact with each other all the time. I thought we had buried his Dad in Arvin, Ca. in full blues? He had a wonderful military funeral with fly over from Edwards AFB attending as he was a prisoner of Wake Island and always a Marine! My current husband of 25 years is also a proud Marine, Retired. It would be so very appreciated if I heard back from you regarding his uniform and medals. He leaves behind a great grandson, who he never met who would also be honored to hear from you. Thank you so much, Virginia Widger (Finley) [email protected] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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