bellasilva Posted December 9, 2012 Share #1 Posted December 9, 2012 This seller, hands0001, has been listing quite a few USMC dog tags supposedly found on Guadalcanal. Now I can't pinpoint what really bothers me about them but my first instinct would be the text on the tags. Something just rubs me the wrong way about them. He is located in Australia so that would make sense this just reminds me of the seller who listed all those supposed D-Day KIA tags. Here's a link to one of them.. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-World-War11-dog-tag-found-Guadalcanal-area-MORRIS-B-COOLEY-as-is-conditi-/261139953977?pt=AU_Militaria&hash=item3ccd277939 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teufelhunde.ret Posted December 9, 2012 Share #2 Posted December 9, 2012 Cooley is to be found on Ancestry: Name: Morris B Cooley Muster Date: Jan 1944 Enlistment Date: 27 Apr 1943 Rank: Private First Class Station: First Raider Battalion, First Marine Raider Regiment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellasilva Posted December 9, 2012 Author Share #3 Posted December 9, 2012 It's an old argument, but I can easily look up a Marine's info on ancestry, buy some blank tags, have them stamped, then bury them for a couple of years to attain that battlefield relic look. Unfortunately these days there is no way of telling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted December 10, 2012 Share #4 Posted December 10, 2012 The edges don't look as rounded / smooth as they should be and the name look's off center.I don't think the Marines would almost cut off his first and last name? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uplandmod Posted December 10, 2012 Share #5 Posted December 10, 2012 Funny how it's always a raider and never a cook. Leonardo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted December 10, 2012 Share #6 Posted December 10, 2012 Funny how it's always a raider and never a cook. Leonardo I also find it odd that the T44 dated tag would be found on Guadalcanal if a Raider and supposedly lost there wouldnt it have been an older date?? I have seen Marines with more than one set of tags but this one doesnt make sense to me(but Im not a tag expert by any means) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellasilva Posted December 10, 2012 Author Share #7 Posted December 10, 2012 Funny how it's always a raider and never a cook. Leonardo Exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldsteel61 Posted December 21, 2012 Share #8 Posted December 21, 2012 The timeline doesn't fit. Enlistment date: 4/27/43 ? I find it highly unlikely that he enlisted in April, '43, trained, transported, and arrived on Guadacanal before June, '43 when the 1st and 4th Raider Battalions were on New Georgia through late June through August, ending at Bairoko Harbour. which was their last action as Raider Battalions. They were disbanded and dispersed after the New Georgia action. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etienne Posted December 21, 2012 Share #9 Posted December 21, 2012 Didn't many Raiders join the 6th MarDiv and train on Guadalcanal island during the end of year 1944 and begining of 1945, until embarkment to Okinawa ? Perhaps tetanus injections were made at this period, even for former raiders joining the regular marine regiments, thus explaining the late T-dates ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fly USMC Posted December 21, 2012 Share #10 Posted December 21, 2012 Guadalcanal was a staging / training area for many Marines after the 1942/ 43 battle there. There are Dogtags to be found. Generally the locals are the ones who find them and keep them as souvaniers. They are generally happy to sell them if you ask. THe more people we asked, the better chance we had at finding some. When I was there in Aug 2011, I picked up two of them and two other people in our tour group also picked up one apiece. So in a weeks time, we obtained 4 of them. It isn't hard to imagine someone taking a trip or even several trips from Australia and getting this many dog tags. In my opinion, these were probably all good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etienne Posted December 21, 2012 Share #11 Posted December 21, 2012 In my opinion, these were probably all good It's my opinion also After the topic about fake Army dogtags, I understand that every tag could be questioned ... but my experience is that it's much more difficult to have every information about a marine in one document, as there is in the NARA for Army members. For instance, the SN doesn't appear on the muster rolls before 1945, so you have to do much research before you have a complete profil for one marine, and sometime even with research, you don't find everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellasilva Posted December 21, 2012 Author Share #12 Posted December 21, 2012 There are also dog tags to be found in Vietnam, half of which are probably fakes. I don't know how much of a tourist destination Guadalcanal is, but something about these tags scream "Own a rare piece of D-Day history!" to me. I guess we'll never know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etienne Posted December 27, 2012 Share #13 Posted December 27, 2012 Another couple tags popped up in the same seller's store ... no raider, just one from a member of VMO-3, this unit was on the Russell Islands in 1944, just 48km northwest of Guadalcanal ... the other is from a sailor. Still a doubt : legit or fake ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellasilva Posted December 28, 2012 Author Share #14 Posted December 28, 2012 Another couple tags popped up in the same seller's store ... no raider, just one from a member of VMO-3, this unit was on the Russell Islands in 1944, just 48km northwest of Guadalcanal ... the other is from a sailor. Still a doubt : legit or fake ??? While I still have my doubts, I really can't place a finger on exactly what bugs me about them, so i'll have to just go along with yes they are probably legit. That being said, i'm off to ebay to bid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etienne Posted December 28, 2012 Share #15 Posted December 28, 2012 While I still have my doubts, I really can't place a finger on exactly what bugs me about them, so i'll have to just go along with yes they are probably legit. That being said, i'm off to ebay to bid It's better to have doubts and not buy a legit item ... than be sure and buy a fake, as daily seen on ebay with AB helmet, camo helmet covers, and so on I understand your doubts, but in my opinion, those tags seem good. By the way, if I were to fake USMC dogtags, I would make pairs as they sell for more $$$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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