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Kenneth G Hickel’s helmet and the day General Buckner died


ArchangelDM
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That is absolutely incredible! I’m so glad we have the story of where that ding in the helmet came from.

 

Even without it, this would be an incredible grouping. But with it, this is just jaw dropping. Thanks for sharing it with us! 

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On 12/9/2021 at 10:07 AM, patrick_usmc said:

That is absolutely incredible! I’m so glad we have the story of where that ding in the helmet came from.

 

Even without it, this would be an incredible grouping. But with it, this is just jaw dropping. Thanks for sharing it with us! 


My pleasure Patrick 

it’s nice to show this to everyone on the forum and have so many of you enjoy seeing it and learn it’s history. 
People talk about Normandy but these marines Made several D Day landings on some of the most dangerous islands on the planet. 
This Marines helmet being proof that even in June of 1945, men where still fighting and loosing their lives to the Japanese. The Germans Gave a cease fire on May 7th 1945 and yet the marines where still fighting on and for months afterwards clearing caves and taking casualties. 
 

This is why I find it so compelling to show this to you all so these men and their groupings live on still in 2021,  and we are still telling their story. 
 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thank you very much for sharing this amazing piece of history and the story behind. Getting exposed to helmets like this one is a big part of the fun being here on the forum !!

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
22 hours ago, Kurt Barickman said:

Fantastic grouping! Congrats on reuniting this great 2nd USMC Division group!

 

Kurt


Thanks Kurt 

still working on the display for Kenneth’s items 

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6 hours ago, Blackhat said:

Outstanding as always Dean, I love the fact that his liner appears to have been ‘procured’ from the Navy 👌🏽


Thanks Sean 

Like you said either procured or painted on the way to Okinawa !
It’s filthy  

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  • 1 month later...
ArchangelDM

A new black light that arrived today has really opened my eyes when it comes to looking at my collection. 
I’ve had black lights in the past but this one seems to have a wider field of light and really shows blood well.  
 

So I started by relooking at the Hickel helmet and what it shows was some serious blood spatter covering the top and left side of the helmet where it was hit. 
 

Whoever was in the vicinity of the mortar must have received wounds like Buckner, or maybe it could have been Buckners blood as well as Hickel’s due to the extreme blood spatter. 
We will never know, but the black light shows some details shots of it, the blood showing almost black, and in some spots a black crimson colour. 
 

Thought I would share this here what I found

 

 

CCFA7A87-12B2-4AC8-BAFC-47385CF2075D.jpeg

C3BCC5FF-3A20-4CC7-85BE-8C3082299FC2.jpeg

65D1C1EA-2D66-48F8-A5AA-993FCEAFBDAF.jpeg

09AC26D5-93A7-40E1-ADD8-1F6419592C40.jpeg

814C7454-41E0-4F2E-8985-BFE5E3932A24.jpeg

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Wow! Outstanding. Gives the piece a deeper connection to history in a good and in a bad way... 

 

I was wondering myself too on how to detect blood on cloth.

So black lights is a good way?

Because I don't know when the stains are rust or actual blood stains. 

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ArchangelDM
1 minute ago, Blueprint said:

Wow! Outstanding. Gives the piece a deeper connection to history in a good and in a bad way... 

 

I was wondering myself too on how to detect blood on cloth.

So black lights is a good way?

Because I don't know when the stains are rust or actual blood stains. 


Blood shows up almost black on cloth under the black light. Here is a good page for you mate 

 

https://www.glogerm.com/pdf/Crime_blood.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 4 months later...

Holy smokes, this helmet is amazing and perhaps one of the most historically important lids on this forum. This is the kinda stuff the Smithsonian would love to have their  hands on. That black light analysis really is something. 

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ArchangelDM
On 7/25/2022 at 2:32 AM, Smokeshow said:

Holy smokes, this helmet is amazing and perhaps one of the most historically important lids on this forum. This is the kinda stuff the Smithsonian would love to have their  hands on. That black light analysis really is something. 


Thankyou for the kind comments 

I would agree on all counts 

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I was listening to a recording of my grandfather talking about Okinawa. He was in the 1901st engineering aviation battalion. He was one of the top CO’s in charge of getting Kadena air field rebuilt. The marines where in charge of maintaining a perimeter of the airfield while the army engineers worked 24 hours a day to get crushed coral out of a quarry for the air strip. The japs would come out of the caves/ jungle at night and the marines kept shooting out the lights on the army equipment because they were worried about the incoming enemy. My grandfather went to General Bolivar and told him what they were doing and how this was stopping getting the air strip rebuilt. Bolivar told my grandfather he would put a stop to the shooting and he did. The air strip was repaired so the Allies could get air support to clear the island. 
 

Just thought this was interesting that my grandfather (Lt Colonel) had a chance to speak with such a famous general and that they crossed paths 

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