Since Badger is going to track all of us down and hang us, me especially, for getting so far off topic, ("You're the Moderator!! You should know better, for pity's sake!!!!"), I might as well follow VeeVee's lead and show you another artifact.
The picture is of a 1-peso coin, worth at the time about 50 U.S. cents. As JWB217 said, the Philippines were a territory of the U.S. until being made a Commonwealth in 1935. All coins were marked "United States of America: until 1944.
Millions of these peso coins were kept in Manila bank vaults. In 1941, they were withdrawn to Corregidor for safekeeping, along with gold bars and other valuables. The gold bars and some of the silver coins were loaded on the U.S. submarine Trout, which needed ballast after unloading ammunition, in February, 1942.
When Corregidor was in danger of being taken by the Japanese, the rest of the silver peso coins, including this one, were dumped into Manila Bay. The Japanese forced American sailors with diving experience to help them recover some of the coins; many more were recovered after World War II. You can see the tarnish on this coin, from being immersed in Manila Bay for some three or more years.
Along with VeeVee's bit of dirt, a "minor treasure" from World War II.
People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.
The coins recovered from Manilla Bay can be spotted fairly easily.They are usually pitted and have that tell tale black stuff on them like the one in the picture.I have a couple of them,I treasure them more than the mint state ones.There a piece of history,the others sat in a vault in a bag.
[/IMG] In the late 1930s, my grandfather served under and was friends with General Parker who was a Corps Commander on Bataan in 1941-42. After my grandfather completed Command & General Staff School in 1940 (that was a big deal in 1940) he had the opportunity to serve on Gen. Parker's staff in the Philippines. My grandfather turned down the assignment because he could not take my grandmother, father and uncle to the P.I. and took an accompanied tour to Puerto Rico. That was a good move - 45 year old colonels did not fare well on the Bataan Death March and my grandfather ended up as the commander of Aruba.
I too was lucky enough to receive a lump of dirt from the ravine at Belleau Wood. I am looking for just the right display to put it in, my thoughts are to find a wood EGA and have a shelf cut into the globe, put it there and cover it with glass. It needs something nice to be put in thats for sure. My next hope is for soil from Guadalcanal and Iwo
[/IMG] In the late 1930s, my grandfather served under and was friends with General Parker who was a Corps Commander on Bataan in 1941-42. After my grandfather completed Command & General Staff School in 1940 (that was a big deal in 1940) he had the opportunity to serve on Gen. Parker's staff in the Philippines. My grandfather turned down the assignment because he could not take my grandmother, father and uncle to the P.I. and took an accompanied tour to Puerto Rico. That was a good move - 45 year old colonels did not fare well on the Bataan Death March and my grandfather ended up as the commander of Aruba.
I think your grandfather made a wise choice! I assume if he had made the wrong choice you wouldn't be here showing us all these fantastic firearms??
Or had your father already been born?
People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.
I've been fortunate to handle two guns that related to the war in the Philippines. One was a 1911A1 given to an officer as a keepsake at the end of the war, the other an 11th Airborne Division M1A1 Carbine that just "came out of the woodwork" and is as stone cold WWII issue as they come.
I'm in the process of cleaning the Carbine for a good friend now. His father was KIA with the 11th AB Division in WWII.
Wow Tom, I'm glad your grandfather chose Puerto Rico... and your dad made it through Okinawa.
While I was in Bataan, I took some videos and put together this 8 minute tribute. The book in the video is my copy of Bataan, Our Last Ditch which was signed by many veterans and counting... those are the scribbles you see on the first few pages:
Rick's soil came from that dirt you see in the video being put in a can (although I wasn't able to bring back that much).
Well I couldn't resist. I had to pose the clay from the ravine with some other items. Although obviously the 03A3 isn't period I thought the photo came out nice.
of America: until 1944.
PM
[/IMG] In the late 1930s, my grandfather served under and was friends with General Parker who was a Corps Commander on Bataan in 1941-42. After my grandfather completed Command & General Staff School in 1940 (that was a big deal in 1940) he had the opportunity to serve on Gen. Parker's staff in the Philippines. My grandfather turned down the assignment because he could not take my grandmother, father and uncle to the P.I. and took an accompanied tour to Puerto Rico. That was a good move - 45 year old colonels did not fare well on the Bataan Death March and my grandfather ended up as the commander of Aruba.
Originally Posted by Tom Jackson
Dad was 14 in 1940 and was a rifleman in the the 1st Marine Division on Okinawa. This is a picture taken in North China in 1946.
