USdog Posted December 16, 2015 Share #1 Posted December 16, 2015 Just got this one off fleabay for 20 bucks... I'm pretty stoked! First tag I have to an Army Pearl Harbor vet... Sanford A. Garrett enlisted in the US Army in 1936 and saw service in Panama before going to Hickam Field at Pearl Harbor with the 259th QM assigned to the 7th Bomber Command in 1940. He was present during the attack on December 7th. Below is an account of a buddy who was with him during the attack... “The first planes I saw were skimming at rooftop level over our barracks. We could clearly see the rising sun on their wings. The pilots and gunners could be seen looking around. I couldn’t believe that we were being assaulted so far from Japan! An Air Force, middle-aged Sergeant came running toward us shouting for us to take cover and hollering out that he was in World War I and knew what he was talking about. He cried out, “We’re at War! We’re at War!” The men began to disperse. I made a run for the supply room about 10 yards behind the barracks. Sgt. Owen, the Supply Sergeant, slept inside and he was ready to issue equipment, dressed in his underwear. I was first in line to check-out one of the dozen or so Springfield rifles. Owen passed me a rifle, steel helmet, and a bandolier of 30 caliber ammunition. John Strickland and Sanford Garrett were also waiting for a weapon. Both of these men had previous infantry service in Panama. As I started to rush out into the melee, Owen called me back and ordered that I read off the serial number of the rifle before getting out. I felt insecure inside the wooden building, not being able to see the planes coming to take evasive action. We had been training to obey orders so we had no choice but to give serial numbers while expecting to be blown to bits any minute. Strickland and Garrett were right along the side of me as we ran outside, where I made an alarming discovery – I did not know how to load the rifle! As an electrician, I had been trained to use a 45 pistol. I had the bolt back trying to load without success. I shouted to Garrett and Strickland to help me. By now machine gun bullets were slamming into the area; jagged bomb shrapnel was falling all around us. As I put my helmet on, Strickland held my rifle while Garrett showed me how to force the clip of bullets into the magazine. Two years in the Army and I couldn’t load a Springfield! Although I was reared with rifles and shotguns and fancied myself a crack shot, I simply didn’t know how to get the rounds in the magazine. I’m sure my lesson on the Springfield was the quickest in military history. Targets were everywhere by now. I leveled at a banking “Japanese” plane, leading him like I had done quail many times in the field at home. The rifle jumped as the high-powered shell exploded and went after the “Japanese” plane. I quickly got off the first clip of five rounds. By now Strickland and Garrett had loaded and three of us kept up steady firing on the planes. How much good we did will never be known, but we had the satisfaction of “fighting back”. “I saw the planes strafing and bombing the base. I saw them strafing people who were on the roads. The planes would swoop down so low we could see the pilot’s goggles.” William F. Rudder Sr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USdog Posted December 16, 2015 Author Share #2 Posted December 16, 2015 Also should note that this tag dates pre Pearl Harbor. Format dates it to late 1930's to early 1940's. Garrett served the rest of the war and at the end of the war was Master Sergeant. He re-enlisted in 1945 and served until 1953. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViewfinderGyrene Posted December 16, 2015 Share #3 Posted December 16, 2015 Fantastic find man! Love those custom tags no matter what branch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USdog Posted December 16, 2015 Author Share #4 Posted December 16, 2015 Fantastic find man! Love those custom tags no matter what branch! Yeah I've always had a thing for custom ID tags on coins. My first one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted December 16, 2015 Share #5 Posted December 16, 2015 Beautiful tag! Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der Finn Posted December 16, 2015 Share #6 Posted December 16, 2015 Nice tag - really nice price! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddyboots Posted December 17, 2015 Share #7 Posted December 17, 2015 Absolutely beautiful !!!! I love improvised tags! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Umac Posted December 17, 2015 Share #8 Posted December 17, 2015 Good for you, nice historical tag. It's always great to see someone get what's in their collecting focus, the tag has a good home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USdog Posted December 17, 2015 Author Share #9 Posted December 17, 2015 Thanks guys! It is a neat tag even without the great history behind it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper Cub Posted December 17, 2015 Share #10 Posted December 17, 2015 Nice tag with a great story! Do you know what kind of coin it was made on, I don't have my coin book handy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USdog Posted December 17, 2015 Author Share #11 Posted December 17, 2015 It's a Morgan Dollar. Date is almost gone but looks like the date would either be 1880, 1890, or 1900. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellasilva Posted December 17, 2015 Share #12 Posted December 17, 2015 Unreal man, you have the most intense dog tag collection I've ever seen what a find Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USdog Posted December 17, 2015 Author Share #13 Posted December 17, 2015 Thanks Phil, always enjoy sharing my finds on the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russell moore Posted December 17, 2015 Share #14 Posted December 17, 2015 Thats a great looking tag with some amazing history Congrats on finding it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USdog Posted December 17, 2015 Author Share #15 Posted December 17, 2015 Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SgtHurtt Posted March 3, 2018 Share #16 Posted March 3, 2018 USdog, hello my name is Garrett Hurtt. I've been trying to reach out to you, this dog tag belongs to my great grandfather. I have some supporting documentation and pictures if you would like to see them, no one in my family really has much from him and I was wondering if you'd be open to selling it to me. My email is [email protected], I'm an Active duty Sergeant in the Marine Corps and it would mean alot to me if I could buy it from you. Thank you for your consideration Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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