Original Items: Only One Grouping Available. Now this is a fantastic and unique grouping attributed to US Marine Corporal Theodore Claire Lambert. Corporal Lambert served with the Light Antiaircraft Group, Fifth Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion and in 1945, while in Okinawa, he encountered a Japanese aircraft they shot down and cut sections off of it, one being cut into lovely hearts and put on a chain! Definitely a unique grouping.

The 5th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (5th AAA Bn) was a United States Marine Corps antiaircraft unit that served during World War II. Formed in 1940 as the 5th Defense Battalion, its original mission was providing air and coastal defense for advanced naval bases. Prior to World War II the battalion deployed to Iceland as part of the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade in order to defend the neutral country from possible German attack. Following the Iceland deployment and a period of rest and refitting at home the battalion again deployed overseas to provide air defense for Funafuti in the Ellice Islands from September 1942 through February 1944. Also in 1942, two batteries from the 5th were dispatched to support operations on Tulagi during the Guadalcanal Campaign. These two batteries were later reorganized as part of the newly formed 14th Defense Battalion. The 5th Defense Battalion was re-designated as the 5th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion in April 1944 and took part in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. After the war the battalion returned to the United States where it was decommissioned in November 1945. Because the 14th Defense Battalion was formed from batteries belonging to the 5th Defense Battalion the two units retained close ties throughout the war. The 14th was nicknamed "Five: Fourteenth" and after the war the battalions formed a single alumni association.

From what we could find about Corporal Lambert, he served in the Marine Corps from 1942 to 1945. He was born in West Virginia in 1922 and enlisted when he was 20 years old. He lived a long life and unfortunately passed away on March 18, 2005 in Ohio.

There are a total of 5 cut pieces, 1 of which is a fabric piece. The hearts necklace is also cut pieces from the same aircraft and appears to have been made into a “sweetheart” necklace with the edges smoothed out. All 7 pieces have paper labels on them with the following information:

JAP W.W.II RELIC CUT
FROM AIRPLANE HERE ON
OKINAWA 1945
-T.C. LAMBERT USMC

The included picture is of Corporal Lambert standing next to the Japanese plane that he cut the pieces from. If you study the picture closely you can even match up some of the pieces to where they were cut from!
The reverse side of the picture states that it was “approved for mailing” and also has a paper label with the following:

THESE PIECES OF JAP AIRCRAFT
BROUGHT BACK BY ME T.C. LAMBERT
USMC 1942-1945 . GALENA, OHIO

Lastly is the set of dog tags that were worn by Lambert during his time in the Marine Corps:

LAMBERT,
THEODORE C.
445485
A      T 10/42
USMCR-P

This is an incredible grouping that comes more than ready for further research and display!