TLeo Posted June 12, 2014 Share #1 Posted June 12, 2014 This is not a fancy valor group that we all love to see but I like it because it is so complete. This is just a nice and mostly complete group of items from a WW2 Marine born in 1913, that I obtained from his niece. He had passed away a few years ago followed by his wife and the niece saved these items from being discarded. This man who enlisted like millions of others and who just went where he was sent. It includes his uniform blouse, shirt, pants and OS cover all with original EGAs, his seabag, dog tag, one ribbon bar, discharge buttons, photos, documents, a couple letters home from boot camp, two newspapers announcing the war's end, and ID cards. Unfortunately she had no idea where the actual medals or other ribbons had gone to.Corporal Bertram Bowman had been serving temporarily in the Coast Guard Reserve as evidenced by a letter asking for return of his ID card so they could close his file. Then he decided to enlist in the Marine Corps in July of 1943 at the ripe old age of 30 yrs. Off to boot camp at San Diego he goes, followed by signal school and then a period of duty in San Francisco at Marine supply depot. He then finds himself assigned to HQ Co., 3rd Bn, 6th Marines of the 2nd Division as a lineman/field telephone. Before he can even see any action he is slightly injured in the LST explosions at West Loch, Pearl Harbor prior to the Marianas Operations. He then makes it out of hospital in time to sail with the division to the Marianas where he goes ashore at Saipan on the morning of that first day with 6th Marines, June 15 1944. His stay on Saipan is a short one, however, as he is wounded on that very first day and evacuated. After a 4 month hospital stay he finds himself back where he started....the Marine supply depot in San Fran where he finishes out the war.There are several photos detailing this group, so it will take several posts......here goes...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLeo Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share #2 Posted June 12, 2014 next up....boot camp graduation photo and enlistment notice. In the photo, he is in the second row from bottom, 3rd from the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLeo Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share #3 Posted June 12, 2014 souvenir photo with his wife in San Francisco.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLeo Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share #4 Posted June 12, 2014 Honorable Service certificates Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLeo Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share #5 Posted June 12, 2014 signal school certificate and final pay voucher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLeo Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share #6 Posted June 12, 2014 I have no idea why the 2nd Lt bars but they are WW2 period and came with the group.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLeo Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share #7 Posted June 12, 2014 The bottom row of ribbons are his original and notice they are turned around and out of order. Since they are original I will leave them that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLeo Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share #8 Posted June 12, 2014 better shot of dog tag and other photo in this same uniform. I wish she had found the basic qualification badge. Looks like she also cleaned the dog tag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLeo Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share #9 Posted June 12, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLeo Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share #10 Posted June 12, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLeo Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share #11 Posted June 12, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLeo Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share #12 Posted June 12, 2014 Well that is all of it. I originally bought the uniforms and dog tag, seabag and ribbons but when I asked if she had anything else of his, I was able to get all of the rest. She told me if anything else like the qualification badge or medals ever were to show up she would let me know. I did have to add the belt and PH ribbon, all else is original to the Marine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpstout Posted June 12, 2014 Share #13 Posted June 12, 2014 Good stuff, Tom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattsmilitary Posted June 12, 2014 Share #14 Posted June 12, 2014 Very nice Marine Grouping!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricardo Posted June 12, 2014 Share #15 Posted June 12, 2014 Great grouping!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uplandmod Posted June 12, 2014 Share #16 Posted June 12, 2014 Nice complete grouping, it doesn't get better than this! Leonardo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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