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USMC 1st marine division pharmacist mate helmet - battle of Okinawa


ArchangelDM
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ArchangelDM

I thought I would share this one with the collecting community,

‘this helmet belonged to Leroy Junior Wire of the 1st marine division. Leroy served as a pharmacist mate second class, and from what I’ve unearthed so far he was FMF and would have been at Okinawa. The 1st didn’t participate in the Iwo invasion to recoup and get ready for Okinawa.

 

I’ve worked out from his file on ancestry that he was sailing in January and FMF in April, so the 1st of April being the start of the battle of Okinawa and with the 1st means he participated.

The helmet is seriously salty, the M1 helmet it’s self has had Leroy scratch his name originally into the metal and then at some point making his name much bigger with hand painting it in black.
Im guessing he was told to put his name larger so people could find him on the beach through all the chaos, or he really liked his lid and wanted to find it to take back.

Next the helmet has had a splotch green Camo added, due to the wear on the helmet I would say it’s 70% intact. The top is heavily worn from being put down or used, this is common with in theatre used helmets, it’s heavily worn in lots of areas.

 

next the SC liner, the headband is sweaty and it fits just perfect to to the helmet. These have never been apart, what’s interesting I’s the corroded unpainted A washers, often seen on navy and marine helmets. The island sea air would happily eat away at these. The corking and paint has also received a bashing from the salty sea air and shows slight corrosion

 

im waiting on golden arrow to produce his full records but so far it’s been a real interesting lid named to a pharmacist mate 2nd class attached to the 1st marine division on the last great battle of the Pacific.

 

enjoy

 

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The added treat is that the liner is an early low pressure St. Clair, which you noted. I really like that!. Congratulation!!

 

Steve

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ArchangelDM

The added treat is that the liner is an early low pressure St. Clair, which you noted. I really like that!. Congratulation!!

 

Steve

Thanks Steve

 

The liner was the added bonus to it !

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Nice one Dean! This one used to be mine! ?

You can see it on the lower left of my spare helmet closet. I’m glad you did the research, I never got around to it.

 

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ArchangelDM

Nice!! Salty heavily used!! I like it Dean!

 

-Steve

Thanks Steve

 

Got his file coming in a week or so

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ArchangelDM

Nice one Dean! This one used to be mine! ?

You can see it on the lower left of my spare helmet closet. Im glad you did the research, I never got around to it.

 

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Unbelievable Rick ! Cant believe it was just sitting there waiting to be found

 

Glad I did the search on him now

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ArchangelDM

the camo on that pot looks like the camo on this. pretty close between the 2.

That yellow can be seen a lot on Okinawa, I have a P42 with a black and yellow camo added on the shirt.

I also have the castellanato medic helmet and he also used a sand yellow for camouflage.

 

Nice helmet

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Fantastic! My Grandfather was a Navy Corpsman off Okinawa, while my other grandfather was slugging it out with Co K. 32nd inf 7th ID on the accross the island.

 

VR
Peg6

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ArchangelDM

Fantastic! My Grandfather was a Navy Corpsman off Okinawa, while my other grandfather was slugging it out with Co K. 32nd inf 7th ID on the accross the island.

 

VR

Peg6

Thanks my friend, your grandfathers where amazing men.

You must be very proud

 

- Dean

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  • 2 years later...

Some added info on Leroy Junior Wire. After WWII Leroy went to the Army, served in Korea, and then the Air Force serving in Vietnam. 23 years of total service. 

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One more on “” Okinawa. Same hometown newspaper. 26 april 45. Love following up on research after long periods of time. I did not find this information first search upon acquiring this one from Arch!

 

vr

Peg6

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