{"product_id":"original-u-s-wwii-usmc-iwo-jima-unpublished-photo-grouping-with-field-modified-ka-bar-fighting-knife-top-secret-iwo-jima-map-and-company-unit-history-in-ega-carved-wooden-cover-5th-engineer-battalion","title":"Original U.S. WWII USMC Iwo Jima Unpublished Photo Grouping with Field-Modified KA-BAR Fighting Knife, Top Secret Iwo Jima Map, and Company Unit History in EGA Carved Wooden Cover - 5th Engineer Battalion","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Also essential to the success of the infantry were Marines from the 5th Engineer Battalion,  The usual tactic in pillbox warfare requires the engineers to mop up close on the heels of the riflemen, but many of these Marines took it upon themselves to move out ahead - to blast emplacements holding up the infantry.”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOriginal Items. One-of-a-Kind Group. This is the outstanding unpublished Iwo Jima photograph, KA-BAR fighting knife, field-printed unit history \u0026amp; ephemera grouping of \u003cstrong\u003eCorporal Martin S. Sasso, Company B, 5th Engineer Battalion, 5th Marine Division\u003c\/strong\u003e. The grouping contains roughly 100 unpublished photographs from the service of Corporal Sasso, with a great deal of photos taken during the combat on Iwo Jima. The grouping also includes his field-modified Mk. II KA-BAR fighting knife with a stacked transparent grip, an outstanding field-made unit history of Company B, 5th Engineer Battalion in a custom-carved wooden cover, a TOP SECRET map of Iwo Jima, some captured Japanese paper money inscribed as being taken on Iwo Jima, some fantastic period documents, newspaper clippings, and more!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis outstanding Iwo Jima grouping consists of:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- USMC Rare “Red Spacer” Mark 2 KA-BAR Fighting Knife With Leather Sheath. Knife retains red spacer at top of grip, but the grip has been replaced with a stacked transparent grip with red and yellow paint beneath and small silver-colored spacers between every third transparent piece. Ricasso is stamped \u003cstrong\u003eUSMC \u003c\/strong\u003eon one side and\u003cstrong\u003e KA-BAR \/ OLEAN, N.Y. \u003c\/strong\u003eon the other. These stacked transparent grips are often seen as done by Pacific veterans, with much of the transparent material coming from crashed Japanese aircraft windows. Leather sheath is correct with securing strap and snap in good shape.\u003cbr\u003e- 100+ unpublished photographs taken throughout Sasso’s service, with a great deal of them taken on Iwo Jima. Some photos depict men in the field, following behind tanks, men in the field in their makeshift shelters, the engineers with their vehicles in the field, one photo of a dug up mine in the ground, destroyed terrain, photos from the 5th Marine Division cemetery, a Marine on July 6th, 1945 holding a .50 Cal., marines on the beach, one shot with marines in the field using a flamethrower, and several photos of Marines with captured Japanese “good luck flags”. One photo shows two marines next to their company sign reading “COMPANY D 5TH ENGR. BN. MOTOR POOL”. Some larger photos show what appear to be Prisoners of War. There is a single photograph showing an American flag flying amidst destroyed ground, which MAY be an unpublished photograph of the flag from the famous Iwo Jima flag raising. There are many other great shots as well. \u003cbr\u003e- 16 ¼ x 20” TOP SECRET Map of\u003cstrong\u003e Iwo Jima: “Traffic Circulation and Road Construction Plan\u003c\/strong\u003e”, certainly taken by Sasso as a souvenir. We have offered a couple maps similar to this before and they are extremely valuable on their own. This map was compiled and reproduced by the \u003cstrong\u003e5th Engineer Battalion\u003c\/strong\u003e, Sasso’s unit! The map is heavily folded with some minor tearing.\u003cbr\u003e- Company B, 5th Engineer Battalion Unit history with outstanding custom-carved wooden cover. The front cover depicts a hand-carved EGA under the 5th Marine Division insignia. The covers measure  9 x 11 ¼” and are held together by a leather thong. Due to the construction, the pages have some damage and some have come off. The 2nd page shows “\u003cstrong\u003eLest We Forget” Published in the Field, 1945 \/ Central Pacific Area\u003c\/strong\u003e.” There are nametags for Martin Sasso on several pages. The interior front cover is stamped \u003cstrong\u003e17 \u003c\/strong\u003eso it’s likely these were made in a very small quantity like this. An extremely unique unit history for a battalion that saw heavy fighting on Iwo Jima. From reading it looks like this contains two copies of the unit history stacked on top of each other. \u003cbr\u003e- Five pieces of captured Japanese paper money, all pieces inscribed \u003cstrong\u003eIWO JIMA 1945\u003c\/strong\u003e and two inscribed \u003cstrong\u003eCpl. Martin Sasso\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e- Sasso’s typed order to proceed to San Francisco to be discharged, with some inscriptions on the back. The letter goes into detail about his points and why he is able to be discharged.\u003cbr\u003e- Typed memorial address at the 5th Marine Division cemetery given by Chaplain Roland B. Gittelsohn. Great material.\u003cbr\u003e- 2-page typed account of Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands \u003cbr\u003e- 7 x 9” portrait of Sasso in uniform.\u003cbr\u003e- Sasso’s “Imperial Domain of Golden Dragon” membership card.\u003cbr\u003e- 8 x 10 ½” “Iwo Jima” 5th Marine Division reinforced map, inscribed on the back by Sasso: “This layout of Iwo Jima shows you what the 5th Div. took on the Island, I would say it extends about another half inch in width. The 5th sure did a great job there regardless of what you might hear back there. They sure surprised me a great bunch of fighting men. I’d like you to save this Charlie after you show it around. Did you get the last pictures I sent you all, getting old or something, huh!”\u003cbr\u003e- “The Spearhead” Occupation Edition, Volume III. The last edition of the Spearhead, the magazine of the 5th Marine Division, a rare publication. \u003cbr\u003e- “The Spearhead” Camp Joseph H. Pendleton edition, an issue from before they went overseas. Great material. \u003cbr\u003e- 5th Marine Division Association 36th Reunion program, 1985. On the interior is a large photograph of several veterans at this reunion, one of whom is likely Sasso but we could not identify him in the group. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an outstanding grouping with tons of great unpublished photographs from Iwo Jima. This group will serve well as the centerpiece of any WWII Marine Corps collection! Ready for further research and display.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45018554957893,"sku":"ONJR25AUCC013","price":4495.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/396D4C0C-0463-40DF-B3D8-04F3F5330850.jpg?v=1778872122","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-u-s-wwii-usmc-iwo-jima-unpublished-photo-grouping-with-field-modified-ka-bar-fighting-knife-top-secret-iwo-jima-map-and-company-unit-history-in-ega-carved-wooden-cover-5th-engineer-battalion","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}