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Marine detachment USS Lexington survivor, Tarawa and Okinawa veteran green uniform


Corpsman_1941
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Corpsman_1941

Here is my newest eBay find, USMC winter green alpha which as later ID showed belonged to US Marine Gunnery Sgt who was first with USS Lexington CV-2 Marine detachment and later with 2nd Defense Bn on Tarawa and 16th Anti aircraft artillery Bn on Tinian and Okinawa. Marine's name was William J McCance, his younger brother Donald J McCande served with 1st Bn 11th Marines on Cape Gloucester, Peleliu and Okinawa. Gunny McCance enlisted on August 24th 1940 and after recruit depot he went to sea school. In January 1941 was on USS Lexington, one of the biggest aircraft carriers in US Navy. When Pearl Harbor was attacked "Lady Lex" was on Pacific, soon after it left Pearl Harbor, Lexington was one of US carriers which Japanese wanted to sunk during Pearl Harbor attack. Carrier returned to Pearl Harbor 20 days after attack on December 27th. Lexington was ordered to support Marines on Wake atoll with it's SBD dive bombers and F4F Wildcats but Naval command canceled this plan as Lexington was on the way to the atoll. Lexington's first combat mission was attack on Japanese air base on Rabaul where US task force was severly attacked by Japanese torpedo planes and bombers, after raid USS Lexington sailed around New Guinea and participied in various missions. After short rest USS Lexington as part of Naval task force was sent to Coral sea. Lexington was spotted by Japanese plane on May 4th , carrier repulsed several air raids until it's final day-May 8th. In the morning Lexington was attacked by almost 70 Japanese planes from aircraft carriers. Bombs hit bridge and deck and two torpedos hit lexington below water line, aircraft fuel strarted burning and carrier started to sink. Crew was ordered to left ship. Ship was abonded untill evening but it was not going to sink so destroyer USS Phelphs was ordered to sink it. McCance toturned to Pearl Harbor and later to San Diego aboard Us destroyer. In 1943 he was sent to 2nd Def Bn with which he landed on Tarawa on November 24th 1943 and later assigned to 16th AAA Bn on Tinian and Okinawa. When he returned stateside he was sent as an instructor to seaschool and discharged in mid 1946.

post-117046-0-99122800-1434270218.jpg

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Corpsman_1941

FMF PAC patch was hanging just on few threads pieces so I removed it and one monday Im going to take it to tailor to resewn it

post-117046-0-80160500-1434270282.jpg

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Corpsman_1941

That's all, suddenly I didn't get his files yet. Hope you like it and please leave comments :)

Regards

James

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Corpsman_1941

Thanks!

Im going to restore his ribbon rack as I will get his records, for sure he recived the same awards as USS Lexington-American defense ribbon with star, Pacific-Asiatic with 2 stars for New Guinea area operations and the Battle of Coral Sea + stars for Tarawa and Okinawa, 16th AAA Bn arrived on Tinian after the battle, WWII Victory ribbon, also muster rolls says about Good Conduct ribbon with bar

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Corpsman_1941

Thanks! Can't wait to see his records and learn more anout his service on USS Lexington. There was an interview in some newspaper with his brother Donald McCance who served with 1/11 after battle of Cape Gloucester, interview was mainly about him but his brother, William J McCance who "served with Marine unit on Tarawa" as reads in article, Donald wanted to join Marine Corps as his order brother who enlisted in 1940 but in 1940

1 he was still too young so he enlisted in 1942, he joined 1/11 in Melbourne and served with unit until the occupation of China, it could be great possibility to get also his uniform :). BTW is there any good book about USS Lexington in WWII?

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carbinephalen

Fantastic! Keep us updated on what records surface and of course the restoration progress with the updated ribbons ?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey that's the one I had up on Ebay. I am glad you liked it. I had so many of these uniforms, but slowly working on thinning out the herd! When I got them there was no Ancestry, etc, so just got them since I liked the WW2 stuff. Sadly many don't have names in them, or are tough to read like this one.

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Corpsman_1941

Yes it's the same one :) It was great deal, well it's nice that many of these uniforms which are named weren't previousely IDd, there are lots of thing to discover and for sure proces of IDd uniforms could be so much higher

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  • 3 weeks later...
Corpsman_1941

As I didn't get his records yet (there is still other uniform to restore before I will start with McCance's uniform) I found photography of him on WWIIMemorial http://wwiimemorial.com/Registry/plaque.aspx?honoreeID=2295467 even in the same uniform! :D It was taken before he put rupruted duck on blouse, as his daugters wrote on WWIIM. He was member of Marine guard on Lexington

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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 months later...
Corpsman_1941

I just recived McCance's records, I was pretty amazed because he recived Bronze Star while serving with 16th AAA Bn on Okinawa

"...when group of Japanese infiltrators broke through our lines in Battalion ammunition dump sera Gunnery Sergeant MCCANCE organized group of volunteers to repulse enemy attack.He located and killed several enemy troops armed with grenades and demolition charges..." Date of action was 14 May 1945. With 2nd and 16th DefBn he served as Maintance NCO while was on USS Lexington he served as AA gun crewman. Before wore began he became qualified as rifle and pistol expert, he passed bayonet and grenade training.

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  • 6 months later...

Yes, it's mentioned in his citation: "Combat"V" authorized"

 

Is there anyway to get more information...That is my father and Uncle Donny Please get a hold of me

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Corpsman_1941

 

Is there anyway to get more information...That is my father and Uncle Donny Please get a hold of me

Patrick,

I send you a message.

Im waiting for your reply.

Regards

James

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My father was William J My Uncle was Donald The uniform is my fathers and am trying to get the info on his medals for my grandson All I have is info from St Louis which is incomplete

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I am his only son and was wondering how to get this information Please respond

 

I just recived McCance's records, I was pretty amazed because he recived Bronze Star while serving with 16th AAA Bn on Okinawa
"...when group of Japanese infiltrators broke through our lines in Battalion ammunition dump sera Gunnery Sergeant MCCANCE organized group of volunteers to repulse enemy attack.He located and killed several enemy troops armed with grenades and demolition charges..." Date of action was 14 May 1945. With 2nd and 16th DefBn he served as Maintance NCO while was on USS Lexington he served as AA gun crewman. Before wore began he became qualified as rifle and pistol expert, he passed bayonet and grenade training.

 

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