Thaddeus Posted January 6, 2015 Share #1 Posted January 6, 2015 Hello Everyone, The majority of my WW2 collection was given to me by a family member. Charlie Norbeck joined the United States Army in 1935 on a six year contract. He grew up in Philadelphia and told me that he wanted to join to get out of the city, help out his family, and see the world. He didn't know what would be in store for him in the years to come. His contract was set to expire in less than six month when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Charlie was a Staff Sergeant in the 7th Infantry Division during this time. Very quickly he was told that his contract would not end in six months. He would joke with me when I went to see him last saying, "I signed up for six and the Army kept me for 13 years!". Charlie was on Attu Island when the Japanese held their infamous Banzai charge on 29May1943. He spoke of how scared he was during that time and that he didn't know if he would make it through the night. After he gave me this rifle and bayonet he told me that he had killed the soldier who owned it right outside his foxhole. Charlie would make his way through the rest of the war fighting in the European Theatre. Before Charlie passed away in 2010 he passed on the majority of his collection to me. He was an amazing soldier and a very down to earth hero. I miss him and the lessons he taught me. Thaddeus Here is a little more reading on Charlie. I have a interview with him but I need a new cassette player to be able to listen to it. http://articles.philly.com/2010-11-04/news/24954925_1_german-soldiers-german-army-troops Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share #2 Posted January 6, 2015 here is the opposite side. I love the wood on this rifle. It is so beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share #3 Posted January 6, 2015 Serial Number.... excuse the Bigfoot haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share #4 Posted January 6, 2015 Charlie told me to return the rifle to his parents in Philadelphia that he had to get the mum ground off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share #5 Posted January 6, 2015 View of the Bolt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share #6 Posted January 6, 2015 Side view of the bayonet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share #7 Posted January 6, 2015 Serial number on the bayonet..... I believe it was built in the Tokyo Arsenal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strawberry 9 Posted January 6, 2015 Share #8 Posted January 6, 2015 Beautiful rifle. Very nice! Sounds like a great man. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badash5946 Posted January 6, 2015 Share #9 Posted January 6, 2015 Other than the gnarly foot :-) really nice photos and interesting thread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timberwolf Posted January 6, 2015 Share #10 Posted January 6, 2015 Great rifle, especially the history behind your uncle! What unit was he with when he went to the ETO? Did he say why he was transferred there instead of staying with the 7th ID? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rogi Posted January 6, 2015 Share #11 Posted January 6, 2015 Fantastic story and place in history. RIP S/SGT Norbeck. I have a group to a soldier who was on Attu, I believe he was also in the 7th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share #12 Posted January 6, 2015 Thanks for the comments guys! Timberwolf- I can't remember what unit he was with when he went to the ETO. I seem to recall that he told me that they wanted men with combat experience spread into different divisions going overseas but I was much younger when I spoke to him last. He told me that he was on the second wave of Omaha beach but I am not sure if he meant that or Utah. I am sure I have it on that interview with him but I need to get the player repaired haha. I will get it repaired hopefully soon and will put up more of his "booty" as I find out more information on him. Unfortunately when he passed away, his sister sold the house and everything in it, including more of his loot that he had told me he wanted to pass on to me when he found it. Charlie always told me that he didn't trust his sister and the event proved why. My family and I did not even know he had passed until two weeks after it occurred. Rogi - I always love anything to do with that battle! I love hearing different stories! Thaddeus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim2 Posted January 6, 2015 Share #13 Posted January 6, 2015 Awesome bring back, and great story. I had 2 great uncles that served in the Aleutians (one is my avatar). My one great uncle died when I was a toddler, so I do not know much about his service, but inherited all his medals and photo's and he has some nice photos of captured japanese weapons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted January 6, 2015 Share #14 Posted January 6, 2015 Great rifle.I have one brought back that the vet also used a US sling on. I have always thought the mum being removed was more so a wars end occurrence/directive. Thanks for posting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share #15 Posted January 6, 2015 Thank you Jim! Doyler, I put this rifle up on another forum that I am a member of and one of the members said that it wasn't a battlefield capture because of the mum being ground off. Some people are ignorant and look for ways just to say you are wrong even when you have proof right in front of them. oh well. That is very interesting that they put a US sling on the Arisaka. Is it the leather sling? Thaddeus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted January 6, 2015 Share #16 Posted January 6, 2015 Thanks for the reply. The one I have is also the webb sling.Another I have has a US carbine sling on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted January 6, 2015 Share #17 Posted January 6, 2015 http://oldmilitarymarkings.com/japanese_markings.html Here is some information on the series markings and manufacturers as well.I know collectors who collect by series markings.Can be a little confusing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share #18 Posted January 6, 2015 That is very neat information! I'm going to look at it later and try to determine what year it was made Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leatherneck72 Posted January 13, 2015 Share #19 Posted January 13, 2015 I sold a KIA Attu Purple Heart last year. I learned a lot about the campaign while I was researching it. Very interesting how close the war got to the West Coast. Thanks for posting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share #20 Posted January 13, 2015 Thanks for commenting Leatherneck! It is very crazy to think how close it got to the west coast. A lot of people know nothing about this campaign or its significance. Thaddeus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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