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18th C.B. Tarawa bring backs


muddyboots
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These items were brought back by a member of the 18th N.C.B. which was renamed the 18th Marines while attached to the 2nd Marine Division. I purchased these from the daughter of the Vet. She found while cleaning out the garage years after his death and didn't know they existed. She said he never talked of his service and only knew he was wounded but didn't know were or how he was wounded. She said the items were in an envelope that was marked Tarawa. Through research I was able find out her father did take part in the initial landings at Tarawa and was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation along with 250 other C.B.'s for there part in the action. He later took part in the Saipan landings and was severely wounded and was shipped back to Hawaii to recover. He later rejoined his battalion at Tinian .

post-24366-0-61042700-1421245158.jpg

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Neat Stuff, curious he was a CB but you say he was made a Marine? Not just attached? I've seen sailors in greens but I did not know they could actually wear the EGA.

 

Learn something new everday

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Not sure what the insignia on the hat is I was hoping someone would have someone would have some ideas. As for the uniform the 18th Marines was made from the 2nd Marines and the 18th N.C.B. The C.B.'s were issued marine gear and uniforms. I guess it was like corpsmen being issued marine uniforms. I have another small group to another member of the same group I'll post later. It has all marine insignia.

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Kurt Barickman

Very cool. Each Marine Division in WWII had an engineering regiment; 2nd=18th Marines, 1st=17th Marines, 4th=20th Marines, etc. The third battalion of each of these regiments was in fact a Seabee NCB. They wore USN and USMC insignia, uniforms and often interchanged them. I have a scrapbook from Seabee from 3/18th with many photos of Tarawa in it that were taken personally by the Seabee. Many of these photos also show a wide range of eclectic insignia used from both service. Thanks for posting. This unit is a particular interest of mine within my Tarawa interest.

Kurt

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