# Is this photo from WWII, Korea or Vietnam? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 22, 2005, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-from-wwii-korea-or-vietnam/318175 "2005-08-22T21:06:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-from-wwii-korea-or-vietnam/318175/1 "2005-08-22T21:06:10Z")
[This photo](http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/951/thompson8kn.jpg) – I initially thought WWII because of the Tommy gun, but then I learned that some guys carried them in Vietnam. I can’t tell whether the other guy has an M-16 or a BAR. ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-from-wwii-korea-or-vietnam/318175/2 "2005-08-22T21:14:56Z")
Soldier #2 is indeed carrying a BAR; I’d bet this is a WW2 photo, and furthermore, my guess is that the locale is the South Pacific. ---
**Author:** ![bryanmaguire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bryanmaguire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmaguire)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-from-wwii-korea-or-vietnam/318175/3 "2005-08-22T21:58:34Z")
Definitely WW2. The guy on the left is wearing leggings over his boots that were replaced by buckle top boots before the end of WW2. And the guy on the right has a t-handle shovel on the back of his pack. So definitely WW2. ---
**Author:** ![madcossack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@madcossack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madcossack)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-from-wwii-korea-or-vietnam/318175/4 "2005-08-22T23:13:56Z")
I agree with the thought that it is WW2, as stated above. That said, I believe I have seen this photo before, and it is from action on either Saipan or Iwo Jima, both relatively late in the war. I will try to track it down on my usual WWII image haunts. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-from-wwii-korea-or-vietnam/318175/5 "2005-08-22T23:17:13Z")
I’m going to take it a step further and say they were Marines in the Pacific Theater. The fellah on the left looks like a “spotted pattern” of camouflage on his helmet, which was pretty well used in the Pacific. I don’t see it on their pants or on the shirt of the soldier on the right, so it’s kind of tough to tell. But I’d put my money on Marines in the South Pacific. Tripler Although I do agree that the Marine on the right seems to be carrying a BAR. ---
**Author:** ![madcossack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@madcossack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madcossack)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-from-wwii-korea-or-vietnam/318175/6 "2005-08-22T23:31:49Z")
Found it (scroll down a bit): [http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/pacificwar/](http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/pacificwar/) “A member of the Marine 1st Division draws a bead on a Japanese sniper with his tommy-gun as his companion ducks for cover while his division works to take Wana Ridge before the town of Shuri, Okinawa. The ferocious hand to hand fighting on Okinawa resulted in 12,281 Americans and 110,000 Japanese killed by June 21, 1945. The suicidal dedication of the Japanese defenders indicated an invasion of Japan itself would be costly, with estimates of at least 500,000 potential Allied casualties.” We were right, it is WWII, and is late in the war, but I don’t think Okinawa is South Pacific. But the massive troop movements at that late date probably had many units with disparate equipment and clothing combined together, at least to the aficianado. ---
**Author:** ![spf14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@spf14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spf14)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-from-wwii-korea-or-vietnam/318175/7 "2005-08-22T23:37:03Z")
Those are two Marines on Iwo Jima. From the [National Archives website](http://www.archives.gov/research/ww2/photos/#iwo) : “A Marine of the 1st Marine Division draws a bead on a Japanese sniper with his tommy-gun as his companion ducks for cover. The division is working to take Wana Ridge before the town of Shuri.” S.Sgt. Walter F. Kleine, Okinawa, 1945. 127-N-123170." [Here’s](http://www.archives.gov/research/ww2/photos/images/ww2-158.jpg) a larger version of the image in question. ---
**Author:** ![madcossack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@madcossack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madcossack)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-from-wwii-korea-or-vietnam/318175/8 "2005-08-22T23:42:13Z")
I’ll stick with my Okinawa answer, since your link and quote also says Okinawa, and Shuri is in Okinawa. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![spf14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@spf14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spf14)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-from-wwii-korea-or-vietnam/318175/9 "2005-08-22T23:46:16Z")
> [@madcossack](#): > > I’ll stick with my Okinawa answer, since your link and quote also says Okinawa, and Shuri is in Okinawa. 🙂 D’oh, brain fart. I meant to type Okinawa but my fingers typed otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-from-wwii-korea-or-vietnam/318175/10 "2005-08-23T02:39:37Z")
Thanks, everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-from-wwii-korea-or-vietnam/318175/11 "2005-08-23T03:16:57Z")
Damn! Was I so young-looking when I was a soldier? Soldiers seem to get younger every year. ---
**Author:** ![treebug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@treebug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treebug)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-from-wwii-korea-or-vietnam/318175/12 "2005-08-23T04:38:19Z")
Shuri was at one time the capital of Okinawa and there is a famous castle there. 🙂