WWII USMC shoulder insignia collected by my grandfather during the war

[Bill Scott]

You are never really gone as long as someone remembers you.And as a Grandfather my thoughts are as long as Devildog34 is around your Grandfather is still with us. Great write up and tribute to a very brave Marine. Scotty

[doyler]

Super write up Kevin.

Thanks for sharing your Grandfather's story.I cant imagine being that age and then being involved in combat in

Guadalcanal, Tarawa and Iwo.

 

Bless his soul and his memory.

[Dirk]

Kevin another excellent and thought provoking thread. Thank you for sharing it.

[nchistory]

Here is perhaps the most amazing item from my grandfather's items. This is a letter from a high school girl back in Kansas that was the student of one of his Marine buddy's sister. This friend who was in the same company as my grandfather had an older sister who was a high school teacher back in Kansas who wrote my grandfather. They never met nor did they ever meet but he hung on to this letter as he had just received it days before he was wounded on Iwo. He remembered E Company was pulled off the line for a day and got mail and a new change of cloths. My grandfather remembered the new dungarees they got that had the map pockets. He was of course referring to the P-44s. He stuck the letter in the map pocket and it settled at the bottom of the pocket right along the left side of his stomach. On March 10th when he was hit by the machine gun round the bullet passed completely through his lower abdomen and exited the lower left back leaving a gaping fist-size wound. The bullet also passed through the letter which was folded in his pocket. It struck just above the crease so that when unfolded there were two holes. You can clearly see the holes left by the round in the '2nd Bn' portion of the letter.

Wonderful artifact. "bullet struck" items are so cool and rare, a prize from any war.

[Sand Flea]

Awesome story thank you for sharing