2nd Field Fortification Unit Dog Tag

[muddyboots]

I have posted this tag on another forum and was lucky enough to find out what Unit it belonged to. I have been looking around and I haven’t found anything that talks about what they were and what they did so some help would be greatly appreciated.

[Rod]

Hi James,

Congrats on another nice tag! This is from a couple of sources.

2nd Field Fortification Unit 球10158

It was divided into 3 Companies with an authorized strength of 368 men including: 313 privates, 28 NCO, 12 company grade officers, 6 field grade officers.

Began mobilizing July 23, 1944 (Nucleus?) Okayama Company, 52nd Butai
Dec 8, 1944 joined the 32nd Army.

Rod

[muddyboots]

Hi James,

Congrats on another nice tag! This is from a couple of sources.

2nd Field Fortification Unit 球10158

It was divided into 3 Companies with an authorized strength of 368 men including: 313 privates, 28 NCO, 12 company grade officers, 6 field grade officers.

Began mobilizing July 23, 1944 (Nucleus?) Okayama Company, 52nd Butai
Dec 8, 1944 joined the 32nd Army.

Rod

Thank you and this tag was brought back by a Marine of the 1st Battalion 1st Marines 1st Marine Division At Okinawa. I’m still reading and looking at maps that shows there movement through the campaign. I read that Wana Ridge was a tough position to take.

[Nick Komiya]

Here they are digging trenches, what they mainly did. Many school kids 14 and 15 years old were inducted into that unit in the battle of Okinawa.

[muddyboots]

Here they are digging trenches, what they mainly did. Many school kids 14 and 15 years old were inducted into that unit in the battle of Okinawa.

Wow Nick!!!! Were these native to Okinawa or brought over from Japan. And thank you.

[Nick Komiya]

They were from schools in Okinawa.

[muddyboots]

They were from schools in Okinawa.

I have never heard of this. I grew up on listening to my uncles talk about how the Germans inducted youth into service and even met one at a homeless shelter here in Ohio that was the only one to live out of his group. War does some unimaginable things. Thank you very much for this information.