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Marine Barracks Detachment Pearl Harbor November 1941


Salvage Sailor
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Salvage Sailor

In this photograph, you are looking into the eyes of men who weeks later faced the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and beyond

 

excerpt from INFAMOUS DAY: Marines at Pearl Harbor by Robert J. Cressman and J. Michael Wenger

http://www.mcu.usmc.mil/historydivision/Pages/Publications/Publication%20PDFs/Infamous%20Day-Marine%20at%20Pearl%20Harbor%207%20Dec%201941%20PCN%2019000311600.pdf

 

The Marine Barracks at Pearl Harbor comprised a Barracks Detachment and two companies, A and B, the men living in a comfortable three-story concrete barracks. Company A manned the main gates at the Submarine Base and Navy yard, and other "distant outposts," providing yard security, while Company B enforced traffic regulations and maintained proper police and order under the auspices of the Yard Police Officer. In addition, Marines ran the Navy Yard Fire Department.

 

Marine Barracks Detachment Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, November 1941

Formal portrait in front of their 3 story barracks at the Naval Station

Marine Barracks Pearl Harbor November 1941 001.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

What a photograph...

 

 

Do you own an original copy?

 

These are high res scans from an original in my photo archive

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ViewfinderGyrene

 

These are high res scans from an original in my photo archive

 

 

Wow, you must have one amazing archive.

 

One of them is Arthur W. Pattison, who took a group of fellow Marines up on the roof to fire on incoming Japanese aircraft with .03s and .45s. He was later WIA on Saipan, and again at Tinian [sent him home]...would love to know which one he is...

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Salvage Sailor

Thanks Dirk,

 

I've already had one member contact me as his great uncle is in the photo. If anyone else needs a particular area enlarged, just ask.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
Salvage Sailor

That I do not know Chuck, I could guess but perhaps some of the USMC collectors will have the specific answer

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  • 3 months later...
Salvage Sailor

Thanks to forum Mod Brig, this mustachioed Sergeant has been identified as Frederick A Gonzalez...Pearl Harbor survivor and Iwo vet

 

Marine Barracks Pearl Harbor November 1941 600 dpi 002 o.jpg

 

Frederick A Gonzalez 001.jpg

Sergeant Frederick A Gonzalez, JR. USMC

Frederick A Gonzalez 002.jpg

 

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Why did some of the enlisted dress ties have pointed bottoms and others have squared off bottoms? Just curious.

 

Chuck

The flat ended ties (field scarfs) were issued in the 1930s up through 1937. I'm not sure when they were first issued. ( Perhaps in the '20s?) My father was issued this style in April, 1936 and wore it for a long time after. He told me this distinguished the "old salts" from the new Marines. This photo, if you look at the close up images, shows a few transitional features between the 1937 regulations and earlier. The field scarfs is one of them. The narrow vs. the wide chin strap on the barracks caps is another, the wide chin straps being introduced in 1937. Also, you will see a mixture of M-1930 and M-1937 hat emblems. For the most part, (but not exclusively) the men with the narrow chin straps are wearing the earlier emblems.

 

A side note with reference to the above: On the flat end field scarfs, my dad, who served 1936 -1957. told me how he lost his early field scarfs. He'd send them to the base cleaners and not get them back. Then, the old timers would notice a shave tail wearing one, and go up to him and grab him by the scarf almost choking him, and giving him sh_t about having one.

 

Another side note from my dad on the barracks covers: Prior to 1937 the blue and green covers for enlisted men did not have interchangeable covers. You had a different cap for each color. The khaki and white covers were interchangeable so you had a separate frame for those. When the new caps were issued in 1937, my dad, who was seagoing on the USS Nevada then, told me a lot of the Marines tossed their old covers over the side since they didn't need them anymore.

 

Steve

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usmcaviator

The photo of him in service uniform also shows his "Battle Bar" prominently....its the little gold plated bar that gave the tie/field scarf knot that sporty push out and up and kept the collar tight. "Battle Bar" was what a few pre WW2 Marines have told me it was affectionately called. I have found these in all shapes and sizes in pre WW2 and WW2 Marine lots and they appear to have not been regulated by the Corps. The group photo also shows the wearing of multiple different tie tacks/clips/chains, most appear to be civilian, and only a few wearing them. So again, some practices and smaller items were allowed to slip the regs.

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  • 8 months later...

In this photograph, you are looking into the eyes of men who weeks later faced the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and beyond

 

Here's a newspaper article describing what the men of this detachment saw that infamous day, an account by Frederick Gonzalez, the mustachioed sergeant

post-22-0-11127700-1399828072.jpg

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