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Iwo Jima Landing Craft Operator Uniform Group


36thIDAlex
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36thIDAlex

Hello, a few days ago I managed to find this uniform grouping at a local flea market. The uniforms are well marked so the identification process was fairly smooth.

 

MoMM3c Charles E Randall was born near Springfield, Illinois and enlisted with the Navy very early in the war.

 

Upon activation, he was assigned to the USS LOGAN (APA-196), one of our Liberty Ships. Most of his active service was on the LOGAN as a F1c (LC). The LOGAN began its career in October of ‘44 but didn’t really see action until the Battle of Iwo Jima. At Iwo, the LOGAN carried elements of the 4th Marine Division including headquarters and infantry companies of the 29th Marines, MP units, some artillery, and a few half tracks.

 

Assigned to Yellow Beach, the LOGAN began unloading troops in the first waves of the invasion and continued for the next 9 days, until the 27th of February. During this time, F1c Randall operated an infantry transport moving men and supplies onto the beach while bringing back the wounded to the LOGAN. I can only imagine what he saw during these first few terrible days of the battle.

 

After their service on Iwo Jima, the ship moved to Saipan for Amphibious exercises, where they prepped for the invasion of Okinawa. When the time came, the LOGAN was sent with a diversionary task force on the far side of the island meant to confuse the Japanese. The plan may or may have not had some effect, but this seems to be he largest role the Logan had during the operation, later serving as a hospital ship.

 

At one point during the patrols around Okinawa, the LOGAN was struck by a Kamikaze plane which resulted in a few dozen injuries but I don’t believe any deaths.

 

Around this time Randall was promoted to Momm3c and worked with the amphibious craft and any additional help needed with the primary engines.

 

After the war Randal returned home but eventually moved to Louisville, Kentucky where he set up a printer shop that remains to this day.

 

 

 

The uniforms consist of his tailor made gabardine Dress Blues with some very nice embroidery, and his stained service whites. This was supposedly his main pair he wore throughout most of the war which he decided to keep upon exiting.

 

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36thIDAlex

There is also a brief color video of the ship from the official Navy records showing some damage after it collided with another ship on the 4th day of its stint at Iwo Jima.

 

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Very nice, I have a soft spot for all things APA related, my grandfather server aboard the USS Deuel, APA-160 and the USS Fremont, APA-44. (both action packed vets of the PTO in WW2, he served early '50's though.)

 

Also, the USS Logan is technically a Victory ship, moreso a sub class of a Victory ship, VC2-S-AP5, the Haskell class attack transports.

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36thIDAlex

Very nice, I have a soft spot for all things APA related, my grandfather server aboard the USS Deuel, APA-160 and the USS Fremont, APA-44. (both action packed vets of the PTO in WW2, he served early '50's though.)

 

Also, the USS Logan is technically a Victory ship, moreso a sub class of a Victory ship, VC2-S-AP5, the Haskell class attack transports.

Oh wow that’s awesome, sure they saw quite a bit of service. And thanks, I’m not too familiar with the classes yet and am trying to get better with the terminology.

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Oh wow that’s awesome, sure they saw quite a bit of service. And thanks, I’m not too familiar with the classes yet and am trying to get better with the terminology.

 

Oh believe me, Navy ship designation can be tricky! But one thing is sure, these ships did A LOT! :D

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Lucky 7th Armored

Wow, what a find and great research! That’s a keeper! You are right, one can only imagine what horrible things he saw.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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36thIDAlex

Forgot these last ones

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Staining and stamping

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Another photo showing his initials embroidered in his top and trousers

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 year later...

Hey everyone, meant to update this yesterday in honor of the 75th of Iwo Jima’s D-Day. I have done some more research and found a photograph of Randall right before he enlisted. I also found that the LCVP he operated would have brought to shore elements of the 24th Marines, 133rd Seabees as well as their related supplies.

 

The second photograph is from the perspective of an LCVP carrying members of the 24th

 

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