Begining WWII USMC Collection

[AmericanKraut]

Thank you Ian for the response the viewing today was somber. I will put some close ups soon, especially of the flashlight he gave me I would like to learn more about it since it is not the typical TL-122 series that I am familiar with. I talked to the family and hopefully I can post some of the pictures on here as well if I can get them.

[AZPhil]

Hey Ben
Here is a link to the USMC museum, when you get to the main page click on the tab at the top that say's "Marine Corps Links". There you will find the 3rd Marine Division Assn. Its a great link to their past ,but also you could make contact with them and ask if they would have more info about your Uncle. That is how I got all the info on my Uncle Joe's AAF service.I made contact with the webmaster of the 384th Bomb Group site. Then after more searching, I asked if I could volunteer to help with the website. Currently I have unlimited access to all their WW2 records!!!!!
Good Luck in your research. I will also try to see if I can find anything else about your Uncle's service on my end.
National Museum of the Marine Corps

Take care
Semper Fi
Phil

[Doomula5000]

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Ben,
I happen to have copies of WW2 USMC 3rd engineers at IWO JIMA muster rolls for Febuary sitting next to me so I took a few pictures to help with your research. At the moment I cannot find the muster rolls for march. In the footnotes it states he arrived on Feb 27th on the USS Funston USS Frederick Funston (APA-89) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and remained at anchor on the 28th, he must have disembarked in the first few days of march. His MOS is 533 demolition specialist. I have been collecting 3rd Marine division uniforms lately with most of them being IWO combat vets.

PM if you want to get his file I have a great private researcher at the archives in St. Louis. He can provide you with his compete WW2 file in about a week.

Reagrds,
Andrew

[Doomula5000]

After a little more research PFC Irving J. Park went on to join the 3rd battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, Tientsin, China for post war occupation duty on January 6th 1946. But I can't figure out for how long.

Regards,
Andrew

[AmericanKraut]

He said for a short period (ie Months) I will dig out my notebook that I took notes on about him. Thank you for your help Im still working on getting to borrow his pictures and documents from his family hopefully I can...
You made my Christmas a bit happier Andrew thanks again!!!

[Doomula5000]

Ben,
I found the muster rolls for the 3rd engineers in march which confirms exactly what day he landed on IWO, March 3rd 1945. Also, as I looked through the massive amount of footnotes, I noticed that there was a really high casualty rate in "C" Company. Lots of shrapnel wounds. The 3rd Marine division was busy advancing to the northeast coast and attack Hill 357, some 500yds to the east. Demolitions experts were really busy on IWO using satchel charges to take out Japanese pill boxes must have been a scary job. Hope you enjoy the information.

Regards,
Andrew

[AmericanKraut]

You have no idea how grateful I am for your help thank you sincerely I am moved by this info. Pete told me he was the only one in his platoon that walked off the island, im not sure if that means they all died or the only other survivors were injured...
Im sure he was injured too because he got a purple heart for that day but refused to talk about it (he let on as he did not deserve any reward for living)
He told me the account of each of his best buddies deaths that he witnessed and what they accomplished and I have no doubt in my mind that all in his platoon deserved much more recognition than any of them received thus why im so driven to tell their story.

[AmericanKraut]

Updated display, I hope to borrow the pictures and possibly documents from Pete's family fairly soon.

[AmericanKraut]

I need to rearrange this some more but here is another update I scored the 41 pack cheap, but its well used, and I added a few items I have had to it. Any recommendations? I am just getting used to the USMC web gear.

[rra227]

Get a T-handle tool for it. Machette sheath U.S.M.C. marked? Rich A. in Pa.