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WWII 4th Marine Division Iwo Jima Silver Star group


vicjoy1945
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Brian Dentino

An absolutely amazing group. This Marine was certainly in the thick of things! Great complete grouping! BTW-I love the uniform with it and the photo. Great to be able to add a face to the group. thumbsup.gif

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Hey Guys,

 

Thanks for all the great comments on this grouping. This particular grouping came out of the woodwork locally from the vet's sister....just a great history there and I'm very honored to have it in my collection. I love the studio photo of the vet in this very same uniform.

 

Actually, I collect all branches of service...primarily WWII gallantry with an emphasis on posthumous Purple Hearts but I also have groupings from WWI, Korea, and Vietnam. I also have a number of uniforms and a side collection of WWII Polish Exile groupings...a little bit of everything.

 

Ocassionally I'll pull something, as Nick put it, "out of the bunker"

 

Thanks,

 

Vic

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  • 1 year later...

In honor of the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima...

 

Thanks,

 

Vic

 

FYI - I have several other Iwo-related groups that I'll try to post of the next couple of days..lets see some more !!

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Hey Guys,

 

Well...since I'm on an Iwo theme...here's a nice non-posthumous Iwo Jima grouping.

 

Sgt Stanley Joseph Kurtyka was awarded the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry on Iwo Jim for actions on March 13th 1945. At the time, he was serving as a rifle squad leader of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines.

 

According to his discharge, Sgt Kurtyka participated in action against the enemy at Kwajalein Atoll, Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima. This Marine saw a lot of action !!!

 

thank for looking !!!

 

Vic

 

Here's an overall shot...

OUTSTANDING!!!

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:jeal0001:

 

Holy cow! This is the type of USMC grouping that I DREAM about! GREAT find, and thanks for sharing this amazing group....

 

Semper,

 

Ski

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  • 1 year later...
Here's the letter forwarding his Silver Star medal...

Since this letter is dated 1946 and addressed to "Mr." Kurtyka at his civilian address, I'm assuming the actual Silver Star medal was forwarded to him after he was discharged. However, he is obviously wearing the ribbon for the medal in the picture of him in the uniform. Does that mean that during the war he would have only been presented with a ribbon for the medal and had to wait until after the war to receive the actual medal? If so, was that standard practice in the Marine Corps? I thought in most cases the actual medals were presented to the recipient during an awards ceremony, particularly something as high as a Silver Star.

 

By the way, is his discharge dated October 18, 1945 or 1946? If the former, he received the Silver Star in the mail thirteen months after discharge. If the latter, it was only one month.

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If you ever want to kick loose of this group, I will pay top dollar, and keep it in the Marine Corps Family.

 

 

I'll pay topper dollar and keep it in my South Louisiana (Cajun to you Brian) Connecticut Family! How 'bout that?

 

DJ

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This is such a fantastic group. I enjoyed it the second time as much as the first. 4th MarDiv had a horrendous task before them with the Ampitheater, Turkey Knob and Hill 362 better known as the meat grinder. The Japanese had this so well planned out that each fortification covered the other and so there was literally no rest for either unit as the only way to take this insurmountable place required each regiment to be in action to reduce these 3 positions simultaneously so they could not lay waste to units attacking adjacent positions. Horrible experience for these guys. I cannot imagine what they saw. Great testimant to such bravery and love of his fellow Marines. Thank you for sharing this Vic.

Semper Fi,

Kevin

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Brian Dentino

Ah, just what I needed this morning....a little eye candy to get the blood pumping! I will echo my comment from long ago.....just an OUTSTANDING group....and like Kurt said, one of the best posted up here on the forum! :thumbsup:

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Fantastic 4th Marine Div Uniform Grouping you have got there !

Very Nice to see it and thanks for sharing it with us Impressive :thumbsup:

 

Semper Fi.

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  • 3 years later...

Vicjoy1945 -

 

I have been obsessed with this uniform and grouping ever since I first saw it on here for the first time a few years back. I am both of Polish ancestry and from Chicago so this one just really hit me. I revisited this thread during the recent 70th anniversary of Iwo Jima. I have been driving all over Stanley Kurtyka's neighborhood for years - a few years back I took a drive to the house and snapped a pic and which I meant to post here and never did. I have no idea where the pic is now but was able to pull up the house on Google Maps street view. So, here it is 1110 N. Marshfield St. Chicago, IL built in 1883. Hard to see the address but it is the red house with the white awning and doors right behind the white car. It is still owned by a person of Polish descent. Not the best photo I know - I don't currently live in Chicago buy my entire family does so I get home a lot - next time I am home I promise to drive by and take a much better photo. I think these present day links to the past are just amazing.

 

Very best,

 

Bill K.

post-661-0-93959100-1425096428.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
blitzkrieg gsd

Very nice group what else can you say a real Marine Hero. And you have a lot of the paperwork with it also that's even better.

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  • 1 month later...
devildog34

What is the significance of the long hashes on the wrists of the sleeves?

 

They're service stripes or 'hash marks' denoting 4 years service.

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