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5th Marine Division
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THE FIRST FLAG
This is the 54 x 28 inch American flag from the transport ship the USS Missoula that was first raised over Mt. Suribachi by 1st Lieutenant Harold G. Schrier, Corporal Charles W. Lindberg, Platoon Sergeant "Boots" Thomas, Sergeant Henry "Hank" Hansen, Private Gene Marshall (sometimes disputed as Raymond Jacobs), and Private First Class James Michels. I have also seen claims that Pharmacist's Mate Second Class John H. Bradley was a part of the first flag raising. The event was photographed by Staff Sergeant Louis R. Lowery, a photographer with Leatherneck magazine. This flag is on display at the National Museum of the Marine Corps near Quantico, Virginia.
ThE SECOND FLAG
Aside from the flag planted by American astronauts on the surface of the moon, this is probably the most famous American flag that has ever flown. This is the second flag that was raised over Mt. Suribachi in the famous Joe Rosenthal photograph. This flag is on display at the National Museum of the Marine Corps near Quantico, Virginia.
On orders from Colonel Chandler Johnson—passed on by Captain Severance—Sergeant Michael Strank, Corporal Harlon H. Block, Private First Class Franklin R. Sousley, and Private First Class Ira H. Hayes spent the morning of the 23rd laying a telephone wire to the top of Suribachi. Severance also dispatched Private First Class Rene A. Gagnon, a runner, to the command post for fresh SCR-300 walkie-talkie batteries.
According to the official Marine Corps history, Lieutenant Alfred T. Tuttle found a large 96 x 56 inch flag in nearby Tank Landing Ship LST 779. He made his way back to the command post and gave it to Col. Johnson. Johnson, in turn, gave it to Rene Gagnon, with orders to take it back up Suribachi and raise it. The official Marine Corps history of the event is that Lt. Tuttle received the flag from Navy Ensign Alan Wood of LST 779, who in turn had received the flag from a supply depot in Pearl Harbor.
However, the Coast Guard Historian's Office recognises the claims made by former U.S. Coast Guardsman Quartermaster Robert Resnick, who served aboard the USS Duval County (LST 758) at Iwo Jima, Before he died in November 2004, Resnick said Gagnon came aboard LST-758 the morning of February 23 looking for a flag. Resnick said he grabbed one from a bunting box and asked permission from commanding officer Lt. Felix Molenda to donate it. Resnick kept quiet about his participation until 2001. The flag itself was sewn by Mabel Sauvageau, a worker at the "flag loft" of the Mare Island Naval Shipyard.
Although Dave Severance confirmed that the second larger flag was in fact provided by Alan Wood, former Marine Lt. G. Greeley Wells, 2/28 Marines adjutant in charge of the two American flags, stated in the New York Times in 1991, that Lt. Col. Johnson ordered him to get the second flag and that he sent Marine runner Rene Gangon to the ships on shore for the flag and that Gagnon returned with it and gave it to him and Gagnon took the flag up Mt. Suribachi with a message for Schrier to raise it and send the first flag down, which Wells says he received from Gagnon and secured at the Marine headquarters command post.
The Marines reached the top of the mountain around noon, where Gagnon joined them. Despite the large numbers of Japanese troops in the immediate vicinity, the 40-man patrol made it to the top of the mountain without being fired on once, as the Japanese were under bombardment at the time. Joe Rosenthal, along with Marine photographers Bob Campbell and Bill Genaust (who was killed in action after the flag-raising), were climbing Suribachi at this time. On the way up, the trio met Lowery, who photographed the first flag-raising. They considered turning around, but Lowery told them that the summit was an excellent vantage point from which to take photographs.
Rosenthal's trio reached the summit as the Marines were attaching the flag to an old Japanese water pipe. Rosenthal put his Speed Graphic camera on the ground (set to 1/400th of a second shutter speed, with the f-stop between 8 and 16) so he could pile rocks to stand on for a better vantage point. In doing so, he nearly missed the shot. Rosenthal quickly swung his camera up and snapped the photograph without using the viewfinder. Bill Genaust, who was standing almost shoulder-to-shoulder with Rosenthal about thirty yards away, was shooting motion-picture film during the second flag-raising. His film captures the second event at an almost-identical angle to Rosenthal's famous shot.
Of the six men pictured – Michael Strank, Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, Harold Schultz, and Harlon Block – only three (Hayes, Gagnon, and Schultz) survived the battle. Strank was killed six days after the flag-raising when a shell, likely fired from an offshore American destroyer, tore his heart out; Block was killed by a mortar a few hours after Strank; Sousley was shot and killed by a sniper on March 21, a few days before the island was declared secure.
On orders from Colonel Chandler Johnson—passed on by Captain Severance—Sergeant Michael Strank, Corporal Harlon H. Block, Private First Class Franklin R. Sousley, and Private First Class Ira H. Hayes spent the morning of the 23rd laying a telephone wire to the top of Suribachi. Severance also dispatched Private First Class Rene A. Gagnon, a runner, to the command post for fresh SCR-300 walkie-talkie batteries.
According to the official Marine Corps history, Lieutenant Alfred T. Tuttle found a large 96 x 56 inch flag in nearby Tank Landing Ship LST 779. He made his way back to the command post and gave it to Col. Johnson. Johnson, in turn, gave it to Rene Gagnon, with orders to take it back up Suribachi and raise it. The official Marine Corps history of the event is that Lt. Tuttle received the flag from Navy Ensign Alan Wood of LST 779, who in turn had received the flag from a supply depot in Pearl Harbor.
However, the Coast Guard Historian's Office recognises the claims made by former U.S. Coast Guardsman Quartermaster Robert Resnick, who served aboard the USS Duval County (LST 758) at Iwo Jima, Before he died in November 2004, Resnick said Gagnon came aboard LST-758 the morning of February 23 looking for a flag. Resnick said he grabbed one from a bunting box and asked permission from commanding officer Lt. Felix Molenda to donate it. Resnick kept quiet about his participation until 2001. The flag itself was sewn by Mabel Sauvageau, a worker at the "flag loft" of the Mare Island Naval Shipyard.
Although Dave Severance confirmed that the second larger flag was in fact provided by Alan Wood, former Marine Lt. G. Greeley Wells, 2/28 Marines adjutant in charge of the two American flags, stated in the New York Times in 1991, that Lt. Col. Johnson ordered him to get the second flag and that he sent Marine runner Rene Gangon to the ships on shore for the flag and that Gagnon returned with it and gave it to him and Gagnon took the flag up Mt. Suribachi with a message for Schrier to raise it and send the first flag down, which Wells says he received from Gagnon and secured at the Marine headquarters command post.
The Marines reached the top of the mountain around noon, where Gagnon joined them. Despite the large numbers of Japanese troops in the immediate vicinity, the 40-man patrol made it to the top of the mountain without being fired on once, as the Japanese were under bombardment at the time. Joe Rosenthal, along with Marine photographers Bob Campbell and Bill Genaust (who was killed in action after the flag-raising), were climbing Suribachi at this time. On the way up, the trio met Lowery, who photographed the first flag-raising. They considered turning around, but Lowery told them that the summit was an excellent vantage point from which to take photographs.
Rosenthal's trio reached the summit as the Marines were attaching the flag to an old Japanese water pipe. Rosenthal put his Speed Graphic camera on the ground (set to 1/400th of a second shutter speed, with the f-stop between 8 and 16) so he could pile rocks to stand on for a better vantage point. In doing so, he nearly missed the shot. Rosenthal quickly swung his camera up and snapped the photograph without using the viewfinder. Bill Genaust, who was standing almost shoulder-to-shoulder with Rosenthal about thirty yards away, was shooting motion-picture film during the second flag-raising. His film captures the second event at an almost-identical angle to Rosenthal's famous shot.
Of the six men pictured – Michael Strank, Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, Harold Schultz, and Harlon Block – only three (Hayes, Gagnon, and Schultz) survived the battle. Strank was killed six days after the flag-raising when a shell, likely fired from an offshore American destroyer, tore his heart out; Block was killed by a mortar a few hours after Strank; Sousley was shot and killed by a sniper on March 21, a few days before the island was declared secure.
flags from the 27th Marines
Here are photos of two flags from the 27th Marines submitted by Keith Myers. The first flag is from the 2nd Platoon of E/2/27 and the second flag is from E Company of the 2nd Battalion. The last photo is a close-up of the flag raisers on the red circle. The two names that have pointer tags on them are Howard Fenimore and Atwood Wichita. I have no idea what the significance is of those two names. Nevertheless, these are two great souvenir flags. Thanks for sharing Keith!
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John Basilone Stamp
In 2005, the Postal Service issued four Distinguished Marines stamps, honoring a tradition of excellence in military service that began with the establishment of the first two battalions of the Marine Corps by the Continental Congress in 1775. These four legendary Marines served with bravery and distinction during the 20th century, galvanizing their places in American history.
Famous for his heroism during World War II, John Basilone (1916-1945) was a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient whose name and reputation are synonymous with the sacrifices and sense of duty shared by generations of enlisted Marines.
Basilone enlisted in the Marine Corps in July 1940. In October 1942, while serving as a sergeant with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, he was in charge of two sections of heavy machine guns during a fierce assault by a Japanese regiment. With one of his gun crews out of action, he helped repel and defeat the Japanese forces. Following the grueling battle, Basilone was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor “for extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry in action against enemy forces, above and beyond the call of duty.”
As a gunnery sergeant he participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima with the 1st Battalion, 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division. After distinguishing himself by single-handedly destroying an enemy blockhouse and helping to guide a friendly tank out of a minefield, he was killed in action there on February 19, 1945, at the age of 28. For his heroism at Iwo Jima, Basilone was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.
Famous for his heroism during World War II, John Basilone (1916-1945) was a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient whose name and reputation are synonymous with the sacrifices and sense of duty shared by generations of enlisted Marines.
Basilone enlisted in the Marine Corps in July 1940. In October 1942, while serving as a sergeant with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, he was in charge of two sections of heavy machine guns during a fierce assault by a Japanese regiment. With one of his gun crews out of action, he helped repel and defeat the Japanese forces. Following the grueling battle, Basilone was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor “for extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry in action against enemy forces, above and beyond the call of duty.”
As a gunnery sergeant he participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima with the 1st Battalion, 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division. After distinguishing himself by single-handedly destroying an enemy blockhouse and helping to guide a friendly tank out of a minefield, he was killed in action there on February 19, 1945, at the age of 28. For his heroism at Iwo Jima, Basilone was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.
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Occupation Photo Book
Yes, I know this isn't a 5th Marine Division item, but it did belong to my Great Uncle Bob. I believe he was actually moved around once the war ended and wound up doing some of his occupation duty with the 2nd Marine Division. He had a 2nd Marine Division patch in his collection as well. This is a pretty interesting little publication, bound with a piece of HBT material and filled with photos and brief captions.
Tojo Cartoon Ashtray
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Please excuse the rather offensive racial overtones depicted on this item. This is a reproduction ashtray that I recently purchased at a World War II reenactment. I wanted to share it on this page because I feel that it's an excellent example of the attitude that Americans had toward the Japanese and the Japanese military during World War II. It's a clever mix of artwork and phrase on an item that practically everyone would have been using during the 1940's. This is actually one of a series of ash trays that depict other Axis bad guys as equally nasty representations. I found it kind of interesting that there is a swastika included on an item designed to insult the Japanese.
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Iwo Jima Japanese Flag
This item is "THE PRIZE" of my entire World War II collection! This is a Japanese flag that Great Uncle Bob brought back with him from Iwo Jima. This flag was there! This flag is a part of that incredible history! Apparently Bob had it just sitting around, folded-up in an envelope in his garage for 60 some odd years and then in 2006 during our letter writing correspondence, he mailed it to me to keep it safe. What an amazing man, and what a tremendous honor to be entrusted with it for the next 60 years.
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5th Marine Division Patch
This is an example of the full color, cut edge patch worn by the 5th Marine Division in World War II. Unlike the Army, the Division patch, or shoulder sleeve insignia, was only worn on coats and dress uniforms and not on their shirts or utility jackets.
Autographed Iwo Jima Poster
I'm proud to share a poster from my personal collection which is signed by twenty-three Marines from World War II. I attended two events in 2010 at the Strategic Air & Space Museum near Ashland, Nebraska. The first event was a gathering of Iwo Jima Marines and the second event was a Marine reunion in conjunction with the premiere of HBO's The Pacific. Here is a listing of those who have signed this poster:
James Anderson - New Britain, Peleliu, Okinawa
Harry Bender - K/3/5 Okinawa
Jack Brosnan - B/1/27 Iwo Jima
Norman Casteel - Iwo Jima
John Dillon - K/3/5 Okinawa
Melvin Duncan - Iwo Jima
Robert Galloway - E/2/28 Iwo Jima
Richard Greer - D/1/7 Guadalcanal
Ralph Griffiths - Iwo Jima
Wayburn Hall - H/2/1 Peleliu, Okinawa
James Kerin - B/1/27 Iwo Jima
Sterling Mace - K/3/5 Peleliu, Ngesebus, Okinawa
James Martin - B/1/27 Iwo Jima
Sam Menzelos - K/3/5 Okinawa
Fred Miller - K/3/5 Cape Gloucester, Peleliu
Frank Pomroy - H/2/1 Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, Peleliu
Clarence Rea - C/1/27 Iwo Jima
John Scheperle - Iwo Jima
Leo Schmittgens - H/2/1 Okinawa
Dave Severance - E/2/28 Iwo Jima
James Young - H/2/1 Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester
Charles "Red" Womack - M/3/5 Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, Okinawa
James Anderson - New Britain, Peleliu, Okinawa
Harry Bender - K/3/5 Okinawa
Jack Brosnan - B/1/27 Iwo Jima
Norman Casteel - Iwo Jima
John Dillon - K/3/5 Okinawa
Melvin Duncan - Iwo Jima
Robert Galloway - E/2/28 Iwo Jima
Richard Greer - D/1/7 Guadalcanal
Ralph Griffiths - Iwo Jima
Wayburn Hall - H/2/1 Peleliu, Okinawa
James Kerin - B/1/27 Iwo Jima
Sterling Mace - K/3/5 Peleliu, Ngesebus, Okinawa
James Martin - B/1/27 Iwo Jima
Sam Menzelos - K/3/5 Okinawa
Fred Miller - K/3/5 Cape Gloucester, Peleliu
Frank Pomroy - H/2/1 Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, Peleliu
Clarence Rea - C/1/27 Iwo Jima
John Scheperle - Iwo Jima
Leo Schmittgens - H/2/1 Okinawa
Dave Severance - E/2/28 Iwo Jima
James Young - H/2/1 Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester
Charles "Red" Womack - M/3/5 Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, Okinawa
5th Division Reunion Coins
This is a wooden nickel souvenir from the 1976 5th Marine Division Reunion. For me, the exciting thing about this coin is that the reunion that year was held in Omaha, Nebraska, my hometown. This is a really great little piece of division history from the personal collection of Dan Hromas. Thanks for sharing, Dan! SEMPER FI!
5th marine division buttons
Here are two examples of 5th Marine Division "Welcome Home" metal buttons. As you can see these are just a little larger than a quarter. I'd love to see if I can find more design variants for these buttons specific to the 5th Division.
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5th marine division
matchbook
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Here is a nice example of an old front strike matchbook cover for the 5th Marine Division. This particular book has the 5th Marine Division Spearhead insignia on one side and a stylized depiction of the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi on the other side. There are quite a number of different Marine Corps front strike matchbooks that were produced. I will post more as I come across them. |
5th Division Christmas Card
5th Marine Division Christmas Card from 1944. This was sent by my great uncle Bob to his sister, my grandmother, Marion Krelle. His gung-ho message to her, "Here is a souvenir from the "5th" Watch the history it makes." I found this glued to the back of a old family photo scrapbook.
Silk Handkerchief Portrait
This is a really unique souvenir from World War II and one of my favorites. This is a hand-painted likeness of Uncle Bob done on a silk handkerchief by a street artist in Nagasaki, Japan. It is dated February 1946 and is signed by "G Tsuda" or possibly "S Tsuda". The handkerchief is showing its age with several stains and some small holes here and there. But Bob's rosy cheeks and blue eyes are as bright as they were just after the war. Bob said he just had this sitting around his garage for the past 60 years so it wasn't preserved as well as it could have been. But I'm glad to be the caretaker of this little masterpiece now and hopefully it survives another 60 years.
Iwo Jima Souvenir Book
This is a great little publication put out in 1945 by the U.S. Camera Publishing Corporation. It is a 96 page book documenting the Marines' struggles and triumphs on Iwo Jima incorporating both a written history of the campaign as well as scores of amazing large format photos. This was from Uncle Bob's collection that he passed on to me. The cover is inscribed with, "Property of: Bob Lauritsen "B" Btry. / 4 Bn. 13th Marines 5th Marine Division."