Marine’s faces painted white.

[Just another collector]

While watching Ken Burns The War I noticed in some footage of Marines landing on Iwo Jima had their faces painted white or grey. Im curious to find out why they did this. Was it just sun screen or was it to scarel the Japanese?

[yp221]

Its protective cream against flash burns

[Just another collector]

Its protective cream against flash burns

 

Thank you.

[yp221]

Thank you.

Anytime

[doyler]

Agree anti flash cream.Im sure it spooked a few of the island defenders.

[devildog34]

I actually spoke to my grandfather about this a lot and he remembered vividly wearing it. He said a lot of the navy gunners wore it aboard ship but the reason for the cream was scuttlebutt from high up believed the Japanese had buried a line of 55-gallon drums filled with gasoline and rigged with explosives that were suppose to be set off at some point during the landing and create a wall of flames to either prevent access to the landing beaches or cut off those already ashore but in any respect he said we put this stuff on. He recalled it made us look like a bunch of Panomimes from hell, but it served no purpose other than allowing the grayish black ash to stick to your face a lot better.

[yp221]

I actually spoke to my grandfather about this a lot and he remembered vividly wearing it. He said a lot of the navy gunners wore it aboard ship but the reason for the cream was scuttlebutt from high up believed the Japanese had buried a line of 55-gallon drums filled with gasoline and rigged with explosives that were suppose to be set off at some point during the landing and create a wall of flames to either prevent access to the landing beaches or cut off those already ashore but in any respect he said we put this stuff on. He recalled it made us look like a bunch of Panomimes from hell, but it served no purpose other than allowing the grayish black ash to stick to your face a lot better.

That's very interesting, thank you for sharing your grandfather's experience.