Is this purple heart officially engraved and WWII era or a replacement

**matt0906** · 10-17-2015, 12:26 PM

Thank you so much for your help. Are there any good sites to research his service record.

**AZPhil** · 10-17-2015, 05:35 PM

This section of USMF will be a good start and will let you know where to start or even give you an answer to the Gent you are looking for if you ask.

INDIVIDUAL AND UNIT RESEARCH - U.S. Militaria Forum

Please keep us informed. I would like to know what you find out about Pvt. Tracey

Semper Fi
Phil

**Gwar** · 10-17-2015, 05:41 PM

by Wagriff

lol Don't feel bad, Phil...I thought the question was on the engraving of the medal as well! And, yes-you are certainly right. The letters from the POW camps were intended to be only in block letters,as the Japanese censors found it very difficult to read all the endlessly different forms of Western handwriting, so they commanded that it be lettered instead.

I shudder to think what the Sarge went through, after being taken prisoner on Wake Island, of all places! In many island fighting scenes, neither side even bothered to Take prisoners at all....I wouldn't have wanted to be in His boots, that's for sure...Poor guy....captured within abit over 1 week's time of War being declared..spent the entire war in a Japanese prison camp(!) only to be killed by an Allied bombing run while recovering from appendicitis surgery just a few months before the End of the war....Talk about terrible luck!

These were my thoughts as well....

**AZPhil** · 10-17-2015, 06:20 PM

Hello Matt,
In your first post you mention that your research about Pvt. Howard M Tracey leads you believe he was killed on Iwo Jima.
Would you mind sharing what you have found out about that Marine?

Semper Fi
Phil

**matt0906** · 10-17-2015, 08:28 PM

AZphil The family member that I purchased it from said He was KIA during the first couple days of the battle for Iwo Jima. I found a sight that had all the casualties of Iwo Jima listed. I don't remember the mane of the site but it came up when I Google searched Iwo Jima KIA. His name was listed. I also found an obituary for his wife who died just a few years ago. It also stated that he was KIA in Iwo Jima. I just wanted to find out more about him. If you notice on the medal it say USMCR. I don't know if the R is for recon or raiders.