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WWII SMALL USMC GROUPING - TARAWA SAIPAN TINIAN 2/8


4thraiders
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Wesley Freeman Demmons enlisted in the Marine Corps on May 1st, 1939 in Los Angelos, California and would be located at base headquarters in San Diego. After finishing up Sea School Wesley would end up as a Musician First Class on the USS Colorado.

By October of 1941 Wesley became a Sergeant and was transferred to the USS Enterprise stationed at Pearl Harbor. Just a few months later the Enterprise would sail back into Pearl Harbor and it’s men, including Wesley, would witness the destructive wake the Japanese left behind.

By January of 1942 Sgt. Demmons would stick around at the barracks of Pearl Harbor. During October of 1943 Sgt. Demmons was transferred to HQ training FMF where he assigned to

 

Around April of 1943 Demmons was transferred to F/2/8 then by October H/2/8. Wesley finally ended up a Platoon Sgt. in G/2/8 by the Assault of Japanese held TARAWA. Wesley would be first wave at TARAWA and then first wave again during the assault of Saipan. The Platoon Sgt. Was WIA on June 15th, 1944 during the initial assault on Saipan. Demmons would be wounded again on July 29th during the Battle of Tinian. During both of his Demmon’s woundings he was riddled with Japanese shell fragments and shrapnel. Platoon Sgt. Demmon commissioned to a 2nd Lt. In October of 1944 and transferred to H/2/2. He became a career Marine and served up to the Korean war as an officer.

The rates on his sleeve are pretty neat and rare! I take it he never really wore his blues after he transferred. He was overseas most of that time until he commissioned. The ribbons were added to show what he earned until Commissioning as an officer. Everything else is original.

 

I tried to piece together what I could without his file which won’t be in for a while.

 

 

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A really nice uniform with a great history...congrats!

thank you! For being 81 years old the thing is in great shape !

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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