WWII USMC 5th Marine Division Reunion Detroit 1954 Iwo Jima Sand

Really incredible souvenir from the 5th Marine Divisions Association 1954 Reunion in Detroit. A glass bottle of Iwo Jima Sand.

WWII USMC Visualizer Crayons for Maps

A really unique WWII Marine item currently on Ebay right now: USMC issued crayons for use on Maps directly from the depot crate. Great for field desk and map case displays.

WWII Cream Protective Flashburn Iwo Jima Marines

For those that study The Battle of Iwo Jima or have a passing interest in Marine battles of WWII, you might have seen photos of Marines with what appears to be white cream applied to their faces. After a few years of searching a very rewarding thread appeared on FB that answered a few questions. While I was familiar with the usage of Anti-Flash cream at Iwo Jima I was not exactly sure what kind of containers were used to distribute the cream to Marines. A little background, it was believed at the time that the Japanese on Iwo Jima had buried barrels of explosives on the beach and the anti flash cream was worn by Marines in the first landing wave to protective themselves from the flash of the detonations of the buried barrels. It appears that the anti-flash cream, Cream, Protective Flashburn, was distributed to Marines in tubes of cream in small cardboard boxes. These have a "S1" stock number which was used during WWII by the US Navy. A second type was produced in a small tin with a screw on cap, but not exactly sure when they were issued as they have no stock number to date it. Still a lot of research needs to be done to confirm that this indeed is how the anti-flash cream was distributed to the Marines, it's one step closer in securing the full story on this obscure piece of Marine gear. Thank you Eric Oehlberg, Howard Smith

Update 1/19: These Flashburn tins were listed recently, which appear to be the tins above but with the wrapper with the contract date of 1952. This should solve the mystery of when the tins above were produced.

WWII 4th Marine Division The Marine Rifle Squad in Combat 1945

Interesting booklet of the The Marine Rifle Squad in Combat 1945 as published by the 4th MarDiv.

Amphibious Medicine Corpsman at Iwo Jima

Excellent article on the different Corpsman roles at Iwo Jima.

WWII John Basilone Medal Of Honor Autograph and Photos

Excellent grouping of items related to Marine Legend John Basilone which includes a rare autograph on card stock and press photos.

Pre WWII Marine Service Jacket Early Contract date 1927-1928

Although I have posted many Forest Green Winter Service Jackets here this is one of the earliest contract dated uniforms I have seen with the contract date 1927-1928. Nice example of a early forest green coat.

WWII USMC Manuals Marine Handbook / The Pack / The Word / Guidebook for Marines

The enlisted Marines of WWII used a few books as guides during the duration of the war. The first and most well known of these books is the Marines Handbook also known as the Red Book by collectors. A uniquely written book written as a question and answer book, it has a somewhat archaic feel even for the 1940s. When the M1941 Pack was issued in 1941 a supplement book was written and issued as the red book was written before the introduction of the M41 pack. Just over 10 pages it was to help Marines get familiar with the new pack system. The Word was released sometime in 43-44 and was an updated manual with a more contemporary and relevant feel throughout. A difficult book to find it is a must own for WWII USMC collectors and reenactors. Finally The Guidebook For Marines was released in 1946 and very much a good overview of all the techniques and gear used by the Marines during WWII. Updated versions of this book with different colored covers continued to be released all the way through the 1970s.

WWII 1944 Marine ID Name Stamping Guide for the Recruit

For those reenactors who would like to custom stamp ID your uniform here is the Officer guide to help train recruits, which includes a section on marking uniforms and gear.

Post WWII Korean War P-47s HBTs

Very typical post P-47 WWII HBTs with rank stencils and name stamped over the pocket common details for post war coats.

WWII USMC Good Conduct Medal New Regulations 1946

From the Jan 46 USMC Headquarter Bulletin. I know roughly the qualification of being awarded a USMC GCM changed in 1946. Here are those changes. Previously it was four years upon reenlistment. Seems like many WWII Marine missed both windows resulting in so few GCM being awarded. This is the first time I've seen these details published.

Art Deco style Iwo Jima Bracelet

Although Iwo Jima happened quite a few years after the Battle of Iwo Jima, that didn't stop this jewelry maker from production this gorgeous Iwo Jima bracelet in an Art Deco style.