WWII USMC H&S Co. 28th Marines 5th Marine Division Jacket Coat

UPDATE 3/16: The restored 5th MarDiv jacket was publicly debuted at the 71 Annual Iwo Jima Survivors Banquet at Camp Pendleton last month. A real honor to have this coat displayed to represent the 5th MarDiv Marines who couldn't be there.

This is one of those unique circumstances finds that I have ever had over the years. I originally bought this coat online for the sole purpose of taking off the buttons for another restoration. I didn't even ask the dealer the usual questions, and the condition of the coast wasn't the best, with large mothing holes on the collar and wrinkled with age. I really didn't bother with even watching the auction and was surprised that I won the auction for not very much. When I received the coat I opened up the sleeve and there was a prominent 5th Marine Division thread outline in the inside of the coat! I opened the other sleeve and sure enough there was a name which matched to a Marine in the Headquarter & Service Company, 28th Marines and an Iwo Jima vet. When doing some research into his life, sadly I discovered that he passed away very young, at age 29 in 1952. All of this was so random, as his coat was floating around for 70 years and it fell into the hands of a collector/historian who studies the 5th MarDiv and Iwo Jima. It saddens me he died so young, so soon after the war. His records have been ordered and his coat has been dry cleaned with the 5th MarDiv SSI of his unit sewn back onto his jacket. This will be the Jacket I display next year at the Iwo Jima Banquet to honor the men who served in the unit. An incredible circumstances that was meant to be.