# Amazing WWII Photos (Pacific Theater) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 26, 2010, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953 "2010-11-26T04:43:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/1 "2010-11-26T04:43:25Z")
The Denver Post delivers again. Some of these are pretty famous photographs that we’ve all seen before, some are just so compelling. Gritty, inspiring, horrifying…its in there. Check it out: [http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2010/03/18/captured-blog-the-pacific-and-adjacent-theaters/](http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2010/03/18/captured-blog-the-pacific-and-adjacent-theaters/) I personally love photo #26. Dude is just the epitome of the grizzled American infantryman. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/2 "2010-11-26T04:57:09Z")
Oh, and pics #75 and #91. Pic 91 is especially interesting, given the caption. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/3 "2010-11-26T05:03:36Z")
Those are impressive. Thanks for that! ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/4 "2010-11-26T05:32:36Z")
> [@Tranquilis](#): > > Those are impressive. Thanks for that! Hey, no problem. I often find myself reflecting on what was once a great and somewhat noble America back in those days, and find myself moved by what I see. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/5 "2010-11-26T14:38:20Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > …I personally love photo #26… Did you mean #27? Regardless, thanks! Great link. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/6 "2010-11-26T14:50:04Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > Did you mean #27? > > Regardless, thanks! Great link. :smack: Yes, 27. 26 is of a damn jeep! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/7 "2010-11-26T15:21:16Z")
Somewhere in the Guadacanal mess is my dad. I’ve always wanted to find a picture of him. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/8 "2010-11-26T15:32:14Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Yes, 27. Wow, the bayonet is quite a bit longer than I thought it’d be. No, that’s not a cock joke. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/9 "2010-11-26T15:35:56Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > Somewhere in the Guadacanal mess is my dad. I’ve always wanted to find a picture of him. Was he killed in action over there? I’m guessing that’s what you mean, but am unsure. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/10 "2010-11-26T16:13:38Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Wow, the bayonet is quite a bit longer than I thought it’d be. No, that’s not a cock joke. I noticed that too. That’s the old 16" M1905 bayonet from WWI, even though the soldier (I think he’s a soldier, not a Marine, by the shape of his dogtags) has an Garand M1. A lot of guys still had to use the 1903 Springfield. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/11 "2010-11-26T16:41:22Z")
I note that our wily Oriental enemy has _moved_ Iwo Jima right in the middle our our invasion. [QUOTE=Photo 87] Feb. 23, 1945: U.S. Marines of the 28th Regiment, 5th Division, raise the American flag atop Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima. Strategically located **only 660 miles from Tokyo** , the Pacific island became the site of one of the bloodiest, most famous battles of World War II against Japan. [/QUOTE] But just five days later, they’ve pushed us back 90 miles! [QUOTE=Photo 89] Feb. 28, 1945: Wounded when Jap fire made a direct hit on an Amtrac, a Marine is transferred by Coast Guardsmen to a landing craft off the flaming shore of Iwo Jima, Japan on D-Day. After darting in with boatloads of Marines, a Coast Guard-manned landing craft ran back to sea with casualties to LST’s, specially fitted as temporary hospital ships. Intense enemy fire exacted a heavy toll as the beachhead was established on the island fortress **only 750 miles from Tokyo**. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/12 "2010-11-26T16:43:32Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > I noticed that too. That’s the old 16" M1905 bayonet from WWI, even though the soldier (I think he’s a soldier, not a Marine, by the shape of his dogtags) has an Garand M1. A lot of guys still had to use the 1903 Springfield. Given the amount of hand-to-hand fighting on Guadalcanal I don’t find it at all surprising that someone would have retrofitted a Springfield bayonet to an M1. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/13 "2010-11-26T18:30:44Z")
I don’t usually get in to this sort of thing but I really enjoyed these pictures. I played around with Google Earth to check out some of the areas and how they look now as I studied the photos. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/14 "2010-11-26T19:23:28Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Was he killed in action over there? I’m guessing that’s what you mean, but am unsure. No, he died in 1975. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/15 "2010-11-26T19:44:18Z")
My Dad likely was on one of those ships in #81. He was part of the fire control team on the [Wesson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Wesson_(DE-184)). ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/16 "2010-11-26T19:50:29Z")
My uncle, William Homer Genaust, lies in the caves under Mt. Suribachi. He shot the moving picture of the flag raising on Iwo Jima. Wish I had met him. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/17 "2010-11-26T20:20:59Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > No, he died in 1975. Ah, OK. You were just hoping to see someone, somewhere produce a photo of him while he was in Guadalcanal then. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/18 "2010-11-26T20:54:10Z")
Look at the bottom-right corner of #52. Would moisture render it a dud? ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/19 "2010-11-27T01:05:00Z")
> [@user\_hostile](#): > > Look at the bottom-right corner of #52. Would moisture render it a dud? Good eye and good question. I suppose not, at least not right away. A live unpinned grenade will explode underwater. It looks like it just fell or was torn off some GI’s LBE during the invasion and is just laying there with the pin (obviously) still in it. I imagine seawater would eventually have its way with it at some point. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953/20 "2010-11-27T05:18:17Z")
Images 14, 22, 38, and 68 are particularly interesting to me - The first three are M2A4 tanks on Guadalcanal, which means that those are from A Company of the Marine Corps 1st Tank Battalion. That’s an early example of the Marines making good use of Army casts-off. In fact, depsite being functionally obsolete, it was very well-suited for jungle combat, with four machine guns, a short hull, light weight, and mechanically reliable. Pretty much every crew member had a machine gun to themselves - One on each wing of the hull superstructure, one coaxially with the main gun, and one atop the turret. Plus a 37mm cannon. And _scads_ of ammo, including cannister for the main gun. In close-quarters like jungle warfare, it’s a heavily-armed mobile pill box - a well-supplied one, at that. Unfortunately, US armor doctrine was even more obsolete than the tanks, and it wasn’t until Saipan that things were sorted out. Image 68 is one of the very few M2A4s left in frontline service - by that time, all remaining M2A4s in the Marines were retrofitted with flame-throwers. The predecessor AFV actually had _eight_ machine guns - including two pointing up through the roof of the hull for anti-aircraft use. Very few were made. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-wwii-photos-pacific-theater/561953.md?page=2)