Original WWII Japanese Battle of Iwo Jima Bring Back Grouping - Helmet, Flag, Sand
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Original Items: One-of-a-kind-set. This is a true U.S. soldier's bring back collection complete with his name and unit painted on a Japanese helmet as follows:
IWO JIMA1945SGT. CHUCK LEONE437th FTR. SQUD.
The 437th Fighter Squadron was first established in late 1944 at Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina as the 437th Fighter Squadron, one of the three original squadrons of the 414th Fighter Group. The 414th was a very long range P-47N Thunderbolt fighter group that trained under I Fighter Command at Selfridge Field, Michigan and Bluethenthal Field, North Carolina.
The squadron deployed by ship to Iwo Jima in the Pacific Ocean Theater of Operations where it became part of Twentieth Air Force as a long-range escort squadron for Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers engaged in the strategic bombardment of Japan. The extreme length of these missions stretched to fuel capacity of the squadron's Thunderbolts. Lt. Robert Dunnavant, piloting a squadron P-47N, spent the astonishing period of 8 hours and 45 minutes in the air. His aircraft's fuel tanks were so depleted when he eventually reached Iwo Jima, that he dared not try to reach his base at North Field, landing instead at a small US Navy airstrip he located on the coast.
After the Japanese surrender the squadron moved to Luzon where it was assigned to Thirteenth Air Force, with its P-47Ns replaced by North American P-51 Mustangs. It was inactivated in 1946.
Also includes with the set are:
- Silk Japanese WWII Hand Painted Good Luck Flag that measures approximately 39" x 27".
- Container of volcanic black sand that was picked up by the soldier during his stay at Iwo Jima with the 437th Fighter Squadron.
A fantastic bring back set from a know solider that was stationed at Iwo Jima shortly after the famous battle during WW2!
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