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USMC Silver Star Helmet + Jacket / War Dog Handler


Pegasus6
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Hey all,

 

Pretty excited this evening. I was able to put the main pieces of my War-Dog display up. The Helmet belonged to USMC PFC George Goderre, awarded the Silver Star on Guam. I just picked up his helmet and his jacket, both with his SN in them. I added that to the paperwork my grandmother Kept from Dogs for Defense as she had sponsored her dog the "Duke of Windsor" in 1943. I have a Dog training Manual on the way, as well as a dog training throw chain. I was able to find a few pictures and stories abut 2nd & 3rd PLT of the 3rd Marines on Guam and it was interesting to see many pictures of the handlers not wearing covers. I created a few pictures with the narratives as well as the Silver Star Citation into the display. Down below in one of the pictures are my other 2 USMC Helmets 1 very salty, the other lightly used. Sitting on top a Jacket that belongedto J.R. Pitts who wore it on Iwo Jima and between the Helmets, some black sand from non other than Iwo Jima. Enjoy!

 

PS Helmet is a FS, SB, McCord - 815B Heat stamp, Blackened Brass hardware with all hardware corroded pretty good in the around the chin position. I can add photos of that if anyone would like to see.

 

Here is the Citation for his Silver Star.

 

CITATION:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private First Class George P. Goderre (MCSN: 802318), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving as a War Dog Handler of Military Police Company, Headquarters Battalion, THIRD Marine Division, during operations against enemy Japanese forces on Guam, Marianas Islands from 26 July to 22 August 1944. When his dog detected the presence of hostile forces on two separate occasions, Private First Class Goderre promptly fired on the enemy group and personally killed seven of the Japanese. By skillful handling of his animal as a point while voluntarily leading numerous patrols during this period, he saved the patrols from hostile ambush and contributed to the execution of successful scouting operations. By his initiative, courage and devotion to duty throughout, Private First Class Goderre upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

 

 

-Pegasus6

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A very rare piece of history of a special group of Marines during WW 2.

 

Thank you for sharing with us.

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Bellasilva,

 

Here is the inside of the liner. Its a Westinghouse. The picture doesn't quite do justice to the amount of dirt/dusty that is all over the inside, nor does it show the corrosion on the sweatband snaps.

 

-Peg6

 

 

Unreal! Can you post pictures of the inside of the liner please?

 

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Also post # 6- I found a caption error in a photograph. only 15 of 60 Dogs survived unhurt, 25 were KIA or died of wounds/disease. There is special separate cemetery and memorial for them on Guam.

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All, thank you again for the comments! I'll update this over in Displays forum I think next week or just add additional pictures here, I am working the following:

His dogs Name was "Han" Thank you so much to the fellow member who assisted in providing me that information!!

1. I able to acquire the TM 10-396 War Dogs Training Manual.
2. Aquired a dogs for defense add Purina 1943.
3. Aquired a WWII dog training throw chain.
4. Pending acquisition - a colleague of mine is collecting sand from the beach that the 3rd Marines landed on in Guam, and will take the sand from there to the War Dog Memorial and take pictures of it at both sites and send to me.
5. In the mail - German Shepard KIA ETO War Dogs actual dogtag; The Handler had kept and it had been passed down I am receiving it from the family.

More to come.

-Pegausus6

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Oh man... Its getting better... George and his dog Hans went onto Iwo Jima and was promoted to Corporal after the battle of Guam... this was in the Summerset Daily American 6 March 2005

 

Trained to run down hiding enemy troops, the dogs were brought ashore yesterday. Other names included ‘Dusty", “Rusty” ‘’Rex", “Eisenhower'- and "Tippy.’ The dobermans got their first Japanese-anese last night, Sgt. Albert N. Edwards of Hartlmd, Conn., reported at newly established headquarters of the Third marine war dog platoon. “Czar’ and “Hans” were sent out on their first mission in charge of Cpls. Charles Peake of Chicago, 111., and George Goderre oi Gardner, Mass They sniffed the presence of a Japanese in a cave and alerted the marines, who went forward and made the capture.

 

Its a little hard to read but the OCR translated it as above.

 

-Peg 6

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Kurt Barickman

That is a very nice USMC group and although Dog Handlers were not on Tarawa, I truly appreciate the greatness of this very unique USMC grouping. You should check out the War Dog Museum in Ohio or Indiana I believe??!!?? Not quite sure as I had a great trunk grouping of the CO of the USMC Dog Handler School and I know that the large group was split up and some very rare material went to this museum.

 

Congrats!

 

Kurt

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