My grandfathers group 126th Seabees

[ww2marine]

Hi guys. I've been wanting to share my Grandfathers story with the forum for some time. His name was John Welch. Born in 1925, he was raised on the southside of Chicago. After he graduated high school, him and his buddy quickly tried to join the war effort. He was in line to join the army when a Navy recruiter talked him and his buddy into joining the Navy. He served as a Machinist Mate in the 126th Seabees alongside the 22nd Marines at Eniwetok, Engebi, Parry and Okinawa. My grandfather was one of those vets who never got over the war. I grew up hearing stories about Japanese snipers in the trees and Kamikazes hitting ships next to his off Okinawa. We all dreaded buying Japanese cars because we knew we would get an ear full.

My grandfather picked this Japanese officer sword up on southern Okinawa. The first time I saw this I was about seven years old in the late 80's. My grandfather kept it in a coat closet by the front door. Excited, I brought it to my father to show him. He quickly took it from my hands and told me never to touch it again, it was too sharp. I vowed someday it would be mine.

When I was 18 I worked up the balls to ask him for it. He stared at me blankly for a couple moments and when into the garage. He returned and gave me his WWII machete. I promptly thanked him and awkwardly asked for his Japanese sword. He stared at me blankly for a few moments and went into the hallway where he retrieved the sword and gave it to me. Its a prized possession to me. Following the war he retuned to Chicago and married my grandmother. They soon moved to Estancia, NM, and started raising livestock. He passed away in 2000 from Lou Gehrig's disease. Despite his bitterness against the Japanese, He was a great hard working man who took care of his family.

 

[ww2marine]

 

 

[ww2marine]

[ww2marine]

My grandfather on southern Okinawa. He is in the middle.

[Timberwolf]

Great grouping man! Especially since it's from your grandfather! Been reading the "Ultimate Battle" and I can definitely understand the animosity towards the Japanese, Okinawa was hell for all of the branches.

[BILL THE PATCH]

Awesome family heirloom, and a cool photo to boot.

 

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

 

[Kurt Barickman]

Kevin,

 

I never tire of hearing that story and you are obviously proud and rightfully so to have such a great group in your collection and even cooler from your Grandfather.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Kurt

[WWIIBuff1945]

Awesome grouping! Thanks for sharing!

[VenitHora]

That is an amazing group, especially with the family connection. It is too bad your grandfather kept that bitterness against the Japanese, but he sounded like a very good man.

[Doodlebewi]

My grandfather on southern Okinawa. He is in the middle.

grandpa4.jpg

I noticed alot of marines liked to pose with skulls. I have a photo of marines doing something similar. The sword looks killer

[tthen]

Great stuff WW2marine, I like the story about him standing in the Army recruiting line and being approached by the Navy recruiter. My father was standing in the Marine Corps line in Chicago and was approached by a Navy recruiter. My dad told me the Navy recruiter said " You don't want to go with that horsesh*t outfit join the Navy and see the world" So he did.

Thanks for sharing your story

[aerialbridge]

Thanks for sharing your grandfather's story and your tremendous family militaria heirlooms. And good on you for having the moxie to flat out ask him for that bring-back Japanese sword when you were a kid, because if you hadn't, who knows what might have happened to it later. And because you asked, it's still in your family. And best of all, it's with you where you know it has the best chance for laying the foundation to stay in your family for generations. And you ended up with other items to maintain in your family as well. Like the saying says, "possession is nine points of the law." When I was about 10, I was exploring my grandparent's attic in Duluth, MN (with their permission of course) and came across my grandfather's, pristine, minty, rolled-up, yard-long photo of his graduating class at the Naval Radio School at Cambridge, Mass. (Harvard), circa 1918. Neato-torpedo! I kick myself now for not asking him for it, since I've no doubt he would have given it to me, and it would be hanging in a place of honor in my house almost 50 years later. We were fishing buddies every summer as a kid. Some point after his death several years later, my grandmother "cropped" the yard long to a piece that has just him and about seven other guys. A few other pieces survived, but not enough to complete the "puzzle" for even the best photo restorer. Even before that, the yard-long had gotten wrinkled and bent, perhaps during the pack-up for her move to the West Coast to be nearer relatives after my grandfather passed. Moral of the story, ask and ye might receive, or at least they will know you would maintain and honor the item in the family, in case they ever consider discarding it.

[ww2marine]

Thanks for the nice comments fellas. My grandfather was a great man. Most of the stories I remember, he told when I was real young. Im sure he would have told me anything had I asked. Sadly, in the the late 90's I was too wrapped up in my own teenage life to pry more information out of him. Ill always have the memories though.

[jmd62]

Excellent grouping and story, thanks for sharing this piece of history with us!

[American Heritage]

Great stuff, wonderful heritage, be proud and thx for sharing

[ArchangelDM]

Amazing ! This is what its all about, keeping that history alive

 

- Dean