History Man Posted December 29, 2012 Share #26 Posted December 29, 2012 Good luck getting it! Still trying to track down a nice named WW2 USN/USMC heart and even though this one is Korea I would still pick it up. Philip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uplandmod Posted December 29, 2012 Share #27 Posted December 29, 2012 Very tragic, the deepest empathy to his family.,, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadet Posted December 29, 2012 Share #28 Posted December 29, 2012 Very sad, and I consider cases like this combat casualties of a different sort..."in the rear with the gear" has nothing to do with it. Who knows what he saw in WWII, or what traumatic experiences he lived with? Perhaps he was a retread that contributed his full measure in the Pacific, but was called upon again to serve in Korea. He went, and it got the best of him. We will never know, but a piece like this should be given the same respect we give other posthumous awards.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted December 29, 2012 Share #29 Posted December 29, 2012 Very sad, and I consider cases like this combat casualties of a different sort..."in the rear with the gear" has nothing to do with it. Who knows what he saw in WWII, or what traumatic experiences he lived with? Perhaps he was a retread that contributed his full measure in the Pacific, but was called upon again to serve in Korea. He went, and it got the best of him. We will never know, but a piece like this should be given the same respect we give other posthumous awards.... Well put.That is what I was trying to say but you really hit the nail on the head.May he and and all that gave the ultimate sacrifice rest in peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottplen Posted December 29, 2012 Share #30 Posted December 29, 2012 Tragic!! Still a very nice and hard to get KW USMC heart ! I would not pass on it if it was me !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chester Posted December 29, 2012 Share #31 Posted December 29, 2012 So it turned out to be just what I expected, sort of. This type of Heart is not for me. In my opinion there is too much bad karma attached. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herman v Posted December 29, 2012 Share #32 Posted December 29, 2012 Take the PH !! It is a very tragic account of a two war veteran. Take the heart and honor him ! In Uruzgan, Afganistan 2006 - 2010 we Dutch had 25 KIA. One of them took his own life. We honor him just as much as the other 24. Such a sad story, such a brave man and yet, in his darkest hours in Uruzgan, without his family close to him, he took his own life. Honor this man and buy the medal ! Bad karma is what YOU make of it. Just my two pence. Regards Herman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLeo Posted December 29, 2012 Share #33 Posted December 29, 2012 I agree with the others who say it's still a nice PH. Heck, if you don't want it put me in touch with the seller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottplen Posted December 29, 2012 Share #34 Posted December 29, 2012 Who knows what happened ?? He was a 2 war vet ! I would buy it !! honor him ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted December 29, 2012 Share #35 Posted December 29, 2012 Who knows what happened ?? He was a 2 war vet ! I would buy it !! honor him ! Put me down too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cplnorton Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share #36 Posted December 30, 2012 Well I went ahead and picked it up today. It really is sad to think about. I had a good friend who did the same thing in Iraq when I was in the Marines. I've never understood why anyone would feel that is the only option. But it's hard saying what was going on in this Marines life. I still am not sure how he got a purple heart for a suicide. But I did find some reference he was wounded on Okinawa. Maybe this purple heart was a reference to Okinawa, I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottplen Posted December 30, 2012 Share #37 Posted December 30, 2012 he was wounded on Okinawa and since he died in the service in korea it was presented to his NOK for his wwii wounds . Its a great heart ! Honor him !! No one should judge him IMO he was a brave 2 war warrior ! He may of had PTSD or who knows !!! And for $500 a great price for a KW USMC heart i would be proud to own it ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cplnorton Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share #38 Posted December 30, 2012 Scottplen, did you find a record of him being wounded on Okinawa? If you did, can I get that info off you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutiger83 Posted December 30, 2012 Share #39 Posted December 30, 2012 If his personal gun accidentally discharged, would his records state "self-inflicted" wound? Could this have been an accidental death and not a suicide? I remember in BOB when the soldier's luger accidentally discharged and he bled to death from the wound. Just wondering.....Kat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted December 30, 2012 Share #40 Posted December 30, 2012 If his personal gun accidentally discharged, would his records state "self-inflicted" wound? Could this have been an accidental death and not a suicide? I remember in BOB when the soldier's luger accidentally discharged and he bled to death from the wound. Just wondering.....Kat Intresting I recently got my relatives records and he was denied a purple heart for wounds.I believe they called "negligence" on his part.He was de-arming a 60mm mortar round and it went off.Even has copies of letters he wrote a few years ago making a request.Some how he recieved the PH 3 weeks beofre he passed.According to the other family members he was wounded twice during the war.Sometimes the records leave more questions than answers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cplnorton Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share #41 Posted December 30, 2012 I am really starting to think this purple heart is for the wounds he received in Okinawa. I know at the end of the war, the Marines acquired some army purple hearts. Maybe he wasn't awarded it until after the war was done, and that is why it was engraved? Or after he died in Korea, maybe an officer somehow put him in for an engraved purple heart for his wounds received in WWII and then gave it to the family. Sort of doing something nice for the family. Does anyone have the purple heart list for the 6th Division from Okinawa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadet Posted December 30, 2012 Share #42 Posted December 30, 2012 Hmmm...this has actually been explained twice in this thread. If he was wounded in WWII, when he died in Korea the government would have provided his family w/ an engraved set of the medals he rated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted December 30, 2012 Share #43 Posted December 30, 2012 McCrea,William E is listed in the 6th Marine Divison's WW2 unit history as having received a Purple Heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cplnorton Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share #44 Posted December 30, 2012 McCrea,William E is listed in the 6th Marine Divison's WW2 unit history as having received a Purple Heart. That makes me feel better it is awarded for wounds in Okinawa, and not for the other reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted December 30, 2012 Share #45 Posted December 30, 2012 Either way it's a nice group.I thought you were just getting the medal.The patch a tags add a lot.Like I and others have stated before, he was a 2 war vet, and not in nice places either.You should be honored to be the holder of his Purple Heart.Enough said.Glad I could help you out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted December 30, 2012 Share #46 Posted December 30, 2012 There are plenty of flukes in PH's...we've seen them discussed here before... We've seen them awarded for blue-on-blue, etc, because their officer wrote them up with some fancy word play, so that the family wouldn't be embarrassed or ashamed. It was to protect the dignity of the troop Many people consider suicides psychological wounds that are caused by the enemy, and thus really makes him a casualty of the war itself. Wouldn't be unheard of for a commander to bend the truth. I'm sure the screening process wasn't as thorough and absolute as it is today, especially with the sheer volume of men being put in for them in those bloody battles Someone needs to honor him, suicide or not. Chances are good that the 2 wars had an impact. I've known a handful of guys who killed themselves in the service, some people can handle a lot more than others, but every man has his breaking point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wharfmaster Posted December 30, 2012 Share #47 Posted December 30, 2012 A very sad story indeed. Rest in peace Marine. I have two medal groups to Marines that killed themselves after WW2. One drank himself to death as confirmed in his paperwork. Hard to get the Pacific War out of their heads. Unspeakable horrors. There was probably two Purple Hearts issued to him, an unnamed one in 1945 as well as this one. Note that this Heart is engraved Sgt., the rank he held in Korea. Regards, The Wharfmaster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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