The Controversial Bringbacks of a WWII Marine | American Artifact Episode 40
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- čas přidán 18. 08. 2022
- War can bring out the best in people, but it can also bring out some of the darker elements of human nature. This was especially true in the Pacific Theater of WWII where some of the souvenirs went beyond weapons and flags. In this episode of American Artifact, we're at The Gettysburg Museum of History to look at a grouping from a Marine in the 2nd Marine Division whose souvenirs may have been controversial both then and now.
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I have a usagaki that I took to the Japanese Embassy in New York city. There was an American working there who was very hot to get me to donate it to the Japanese war shrine, which I told him was an absolute no-go. That Shrine is designed to glorify the Imperial Ambitions and atrocities of World War ii. He also was very dismissive of the idea of any Americans giving the flags to the families directly, which I told him was also not my aim, but that I would like to know if they could find any identifying information that they could return it to the family if they could identify the original soldier. I also informed him that if they could not, I would like it returned to me. I also wanted to translation of what was written on it.
It came back to me FedEx a good month later, without so much as a thank-you note in it. I will simply say here, the Japanese Embassy is shit.
I have heard of other people who actually will translate diosegakis, but I have not managed to get the information to send pictures of my flag to them. Many have been repatriated, but I don't feel that these Museum pieces should be. I do feel, however, that an attempt should have been made to get the translations and then read some of that off as he was talking about the exhibits.
My father was a Marine rifleman in the 4th Div. during that war. It is difficult for us to understand after the fact how bitter was the fighting at that time from both sides. Not to say that the fighting against the Germans was not bitter, because it was that. The Pacific war took it to a new level. So if one was to suggest to a Marine at that time that it was immoral to take teeth from dead Japanese soldiers he would probably laughed at you--especially if he had just finished a campaign like Peleliu or Iwo Jima. Bottom line: I would be less judgemental.
Yeah, it definitely got dark over there.
Dang right !!!
Absolutely Sir.
Exactly. Anyone that wasn't there has NO idea.
Absolutely right.
My aunt used to tell us stories about my father, and what he went through as a young man of 18. There was one story that I remembered most. Two Japanese soldiers were walking towards, my father, with a white flag to surrender, but as they drew closer, the front one bent over, the one behind him ready to shoot,but my father shot first. The first soldier had a machine gun strapped to his back. As they fell photographs of their families fell to the ground. That scene haunted my father for the rest of his life. Atrocities happened on both sides. The brutality of war, is never known to those who never experienced it.
Awful.
God Bless your dad, and all those from the Greatest Generation.
If your dad hadn’t killed you wouldn’t be here
That’s why we don’t feel sorry for them at all, they fought dirty, not saying you shouldn’t do what you have to do to survive but they went to the extremes
When Admiral Yamamoto said of the Pearl Harbor attack: "All we have done is awaken a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve." Well, now you know what he knew. The Japanese had contempt for the Chinese soldiers. They sniggered at the Russians (who they defeated and humiliated in battle decades before). But they feared the US Marines. The Japanese mutilated bodies of their enemies and the Marines gave it right back to them. The island hopping across the Pacific weren't a series of battles as much as they were exterminations, led by the Marines. They treated the Japanese like vermin, exterminating them off Islands like an infestation. The Americans wanted those islands for logistics and for airbases from which to attack Japan from the air, and the Japanese had to go. They shelled them from ships, bombed them from the air, napalmed them, burnt them alive with flamethrowers, buried them alive in their caves with builders and explosives, backed up gasoline trucks to their tunnels turned on the spigot and flooded them with gasoline and threw in a match, and yes, shot them and stabbed them. That's what Giants filled with terrible resolve do. In the words of General Norman Schwarzkopf at his famed press conference, when asked by a reporter if burying Iraqi Republican Guard in their bunkers with bulldozers was a particularly cruel way of killing the enemy, he said "I don't know a nice way to kill someone. Next Question."
The tooth pulling isn't no big deal, the Japanese soldiers mutalated Marines, they rarely ever surrendered! The Marines ran into this fight, everytime they met. It turned into a battle of attrition, after you lose everyone you care for, hard feelings start to emerge, no way around It! They saved our country, our way of life! War is nasty business! God bless them all!
Well said Forest! The job had to be done and these brave souls did it. Thank you God!
Absolutely right. I agree 100%
You said it all. The Pacific war was really brutal more so than Europe. And quite frankly does this really bother me, no. My grandfather served in the Pacific and I thank God they won. It was JUST as important a campaign as Europe.
So just to get this right you are against the US enemies from desecrating US bodies but are ok with US troops doing it? OK! And to use the excuse “they did it first” lol
I'm not saying that anyone was wrong. The Japanese soldiers were raised with the Bushido Code of fighting. There was no honor in surrender, fight and win, or fight to the death ☠️ ! I'm saying that that kind of battle of attrition lead's to bad feelings and actions from both opposing armies! Therefore the tooth pulling is a affect of that type of battle! So for me, I'm not surprised or shocked for our troops reaction, I'm pleased and proud that they won the war. I will not pretend to know what they were going through, but I do know human nature! I will never turn my back on our soldiers or my country, and the enemy tried their best to win, but they didn't, and to the victor's, go the spoils of war! Hope you kind of understand what I was saying, if not, that's fine.
THANK you for the honest portrayal of the gold teeth, and not “sanitizing” history. Good or bad, history is what it is.
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AMEN!
Exactly! Sanitizing, or trying to erase history as some groups are trying to do now, is, at best, mistake. If we don't know history, we can't learn from it or be able to recognize when it's being repeated so we can stop it.
I talked to a ww2 vet and the small simple stories he told me gave me chills but I’m so interested in history so I couldn’t help but awe at the stories he shared.. he ended up gifting me a 1944 mosin nagant rifle that was used in battle. I can’t thank our soldiers enough for the things they’ve done and yet they still till this day think of others before themselves. Thank you vets.
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My father was a p o w in Korea my grandfather and my mother's side was in the Bataan death March the stories they used to tell each other as a child I would listen what these men did to survive no one will ever know how all the time they fought to get back to America in their own way of life if they didn't I wouldn't be here today America needs to honor and cherish every service man and woman that fight for this great country that'll always be great because of the sacrifices that were made by others God bless this country these men made it great
I read the Old Breed a few years ago. Necessary reading for anyone interested in WW2. Really gave a insite to the brutality of war and how it affects, changes and takes a toll on a person.
My favorite book.
Sledge's story is in the HBO special, "Pacific" including the tooth collecting episode.
Such a good book. Same with Helmet for my pillow
I served in Nam, and some bad s*** happened there too. I saw men cutting the ears off the dead VC. Just a body trophy. Well is hell, and it tends to bring out the worst in some men. But please, don't judge if you wasn't there and standing in our boots
Just going by what the people at the time had to say about it.
@@TheHistoryUnderground I know that JD. Your channel is the absolute best on CZcams, and I am always looking forward to your content. I was not throwing shade at you. Just trying to enlighten some people who want to judge, but have no real understanding of what these men went through
This is why we should learn all we can about history. War is brutal. Great lesson JD.
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My father in law was a surgeon in Europe from the invasion on. He told me his biggest concern other than getting back home was perhaps having to ship out to the Pacific. I believe it worked out that he didn’t come home from the European theater until after the Japanese surrendered. That man saw more than any human should ever have to see. He too saw what war did to people, on both sides.
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My Uncle fought in the Pacific in the Army. He survived. I remember as a kid growing up at our relatives that there would be Jap Rifles they had brought back. Also it was common at School in the early/mid 1960's for Show & Tell for the kids to bring Japanese and German Rifles, Pistols, Swords, Knives and Flags, etc. ms gamboolgals father was in the 101st and parachuted into Normandy the night of D-Day and was in all the fights all the way thru. He survived and was never wounded. We had many relatives who fought in the war(s) - some wounded and KIA.
Grew up near and visited with a Bataan Death March Survivor.
Bringing back war trophies is a normal thing.
Respect and Appreciation to all the Veterans of all the Wars.
I was lucky enough to sit down with a WWII Marine years back and hear his stories. After talking for several hours he said he had something to give me and came out with a small box and handed it to me. I opened it up and found about half a dozen gold teeth he had plucked from Japanese soldiers. I politely declined and went on to tell me the horrific things the Japanese did to our service members. Very messed up stuff
Brutal.
What the Japanese did to American POWs is unspeakable. They (Japanese) even filmed their atrocities. Many of these captured films are in the Library of Congress. Burning our men alive is just ONE way...
We cannot pass judgement on these men,and I'm not saying that you are. However. The brutality of those campaigns and the enemy we fought knocked loose a peice of humanity from those marines
Hopefully when they got back to the world it came back. What's sad is for some it didnt
The new generation cannot and should not, ever, judge those that came before them. The lives they led, the actions they took, was based on what was accepted then...unfortunately, our current generation removes or destroys the past, judges history...and this shows me the current generation is one of low intelligence, emotionally driven and unable to think cognitively. So be it, but don't ever ask for my help, cause I have zero tolerance or compassion these days...it's my life, it's my rights and I choose, no one else. And so many tread so lightly, as was done in this video about the teeth, afraid of the woke mob or CZcams coming after them...I am not & will never be afraid of the woke...they can all dig a hole, jump in and stay there...earth needs the fertilizer.
Maybe take the teeth and bury them somewhere. Can't undo what was done, but maybe a small gesture
My father was an anti aircraft gunner on the island of Leyte in the Philippines from February '43 til the end of the war..When I was little I used to ask him if he brought anything back . He always said no . Then one day, when I was in my 20's he said "You know that question you always used to ask about my war service ?..Well I have to show you something." He reached into a box and pulled out a very beautiful silk handkerchief (obviously Japanese) ..To which I said "Wow that's awesome! " ..then he looked at me and said " This isn't it and I'm not proud of it either " ..then he pulled two teeth out of the handkerchief..My jaw dropped when he recounted how he got them ..he was a devout Christian at this point and basically said war, THAT war was different than ANYTHING I could ever imagine and things were swirling a million miles an hour for a 22 year old kid from Texas .. I never saw those things again ..I believe he may have thrown them away that very day ...War makes you do strange things ...
Wow.
As other people have commented here, removing the gold teeth from dead Japanese soldiers may not have been the most humane behavior displayed by U. S. Marines, but neither was much of the behavior of the troops of the Japanese Empire. They engaged in beheading contests in China, raped Chinese and Korean women, performed grusesome medical experiments comparable to those of Joseph Mengele and even engaged in cannibalism. It wasn't until 2003 that future U. S. President George H. W. Bush found out that his crew that had bailed out most likely ended up as food to their Japanese captors. Wartime obviously brings out the worst in humans and the Second World War was certainly no exception. Thank you for sharing these artifacts J. D. and Eric!
No doubt that the Japanese performed more vicious acts.
My father in Law was Army medic in the South Pacific , brought home weapon's sniper Riffle Bayonets infantry Riffles several small flags, it was interesting listening to the stories he told , snipers firing at the ambulances when they brought back the men to the rear Driving so fast if they lost someone they couldn't stop or they would get shot, painting over the red cross so the Japanese didn't know what the truck was hauling, sure miss that man.
Wow!
My grandfather was a Lt. Cmdr. UNR Seabee 113th based in Cook Islands in WWII. As civilians many of his fellow co-workers joined as a large group and he was prior service at the time going into WWII. During a construction project several of his charges were killed by a Japanese sniper. They fought back and killed the enemy. The snipers rifle was taken and given to my grandfather. I currently have that rifle. It belongs to my brother. But, what a weapon and a link to my Grandfather.
Wow!
Nothing controversial about the teeth. No need to cover that up, enough reality is covered up these days. Enough to leave people naive! Great video my man!!
Thanks.
@@TheHistoryUnderground They could have been ears. My FIL collected 41 right ears from enemy combatants in Viet Nam. The Navy confiscated them when he was sent home.
Taking gold teeth from a dead Soldier? B.F.D ! ....Maybe do a short video about the atrocities concerning what ten of thousands Japanese soldiers did to 'living' Australian, American and British soldiers!!!!! Or what they (Japanese army) were involved in on a global scale during 1937-1945. From rape and murder, infanticide and cannibalism, starvation and emotionless slaughter of prisoners of war. Then maybe about their forced prostitution upon local women in China, Singapore and many other places around South East Asia, as well as the mass murder of local communities (noncombatants_) ...then we can talk of Japanese biological experiments that were near the level of the Nazi's.
Don't know of any nations military over time that did not do this kind of thing, before you judge to harshly you have to remember where they were and what they were experiencing that drove them to this primal level (others just plain cruel). Have seen several videos also of flag return ceremonies in Japan, has Eric ever considered checking to see if family members survived the war and possibly return a family treasure home. Love these individual soldier stories, great video.
My grandpa died when I was 7 so I didn't get to talk to him about his experience on Saipan. Everything I've learned about his service there is second hand from my Uncle and older cousins. I do have his award records but his personal records were lost in the archive fire in St Louis, his were there with a lot of the Army's.
Lots of history that was lost in that fire.
My father's records, and those of many thousands more were "conveniently" lost in that fire...
I really appreciate the honesty you always provide with your channel. I was born in 1949 after WW2. My brother served during the Vietnam War. People who haven't experienced war as a soldier have no concept of what our soldiers had to endure. I'm grateful for all their sacrifices in all the wars the US has been apart of; both men & women. Eric & his museum is a treasure trove of information. Thank you for your channel.
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My first Pastor was a Marine in the Pacific theater. He mentioned that he had had a set of teeth taken from a Japanese soldier but had found out that it wasn’t really gold. No idea as to how he had obtained it.
A good friend that served in Vietnam with the 82cd Airborne told me about a fellow soldier who collected ears from NVA and Viet Cong. Supposedly he got a “bounty” from someone if he could prove that he had killed one. Don said that he strung them on a string and dried them and sometimes hung them around his neck. Both are gone now and can’t verify their stories. Sad that this sort of stuff was common.
I remember back in the 1990s a friend of mine who was a militaria dealer told me about visiting the house of a Navy vet who served at Pearl Harbor in the 1960s. The vet lived in North Carolina. One of his keepsakes of his time in Hawaii was a human skull, sawed in half vertically and mounted on a board, that was supposedly part of the remains of a Japanese soldier that was found in a cave in one of the smaller islands. He and a group of friends were exploring one of the small islands and supposedly came upon the remains, and instead of reporting the find they just pilfered what was left of a rifle, pistol, various web gear and helmet and bits of remaining uniform. This vet ended up with some web gear and the skull. According to him the skull had damage on one side so he sawed it in half and kept the "good half". I've wondered quite a bit over the years about how that lone Japanese soldier ended up in that cave.
Not surprised at some of the more controversial war trophies. The enemy has always been dehumanized by the opposing military. When you look at an enemy soldier that way, it doesn't seem so bad to the trophy takers.
Yep.
A friend of mines dad was in Viet Nam, and he mailed a motorcycle home that he bought over there. It was a Honda S90. And he took it apart, and mailed it home in boxes. Me and my friend put it back together, and got it running. It was not exactly a war trophy, but it goes to show an example of something that got mailed back during the Viet Nam war.
Wow!
👊 yes!!!! I stared at my phone all day to watch this as soon as it posted! Let’s press play ▶️
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It’s easy for people who haven’t experienced the atrocities in war to pass judgement. People become desensitized in order to survive. History must be preserved as is without washing it down.
A older friend of Mine told Me about what it was like to be a 15 year old Marine Fighting against the Japanese invasion of the Philippines and then surviving the Bataan Death March and captivity. Blinded in one eye after a Japanese Guard struck Him on the back of His head with the butt stock of His Rifle witnessing atrocities against women , babies including the unborn and unable to do anything about it . He often said that as American’s We should never allow Ourselves to be in a weak position or experience defeat. He was a American of Polish Ancestry . He said that as truckloads of Japanese soldier’s passed them on the Death March some of the Japanese would stick their rifles out holding on to the for-end and try to strike the marching prisoners with the Butt end of the stock. Another Friend who’s Father was Apache Indian from a area where they considered themselves Mexican somehow heard that His older Half Brother who was in the Army Engineers was Beheaded by the Japanese on the Bataan Death March. Her Father joined The United States Army at 17 wanting to fight the Japanese and settle scores but was a infantryman sent to Northern Europe fighting in many battles to the end of the war. I seriously doubt that a collector of teeth did any Banzai Rejoicing , took part in the gang raping and mutilation of their prisoner’s or derived any racially motivated satisfaction from the degradation and enslavement of prisoner’s.
My grandfather was in the army air core. Got captured early and was also in the Bataan death March. He weighed around 80lbs once he was freed from captivity. Still lived to 91
Personally I don’t think the teeth pulling is that controversial, especially when you consider the atrocities committed by the Japanese upon the allied forces in the war against Japan, they were far more barbaric and heinous in their acts of interference with a corpse. It wasn’t right what the allied forces personnel did, but it is definitely understandable.
Thanks JD and Eric for another block in my knowledge base, interesting and informative as always. Thanks again guys. 😀👍🇬🇧🏴🇺🇸🇺🇦🇦🇺
I remember seeing a Japanese skull painted red with the 1st Marine patch on its forehead. The story was that the skull belonged to a sniper who had just killed a Marine.
Yep. That wasn’t uncommon.
Your videos are so educational and captivating. I cannot wait to see the museum in person!
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I am never ceased to be amazed by the brutality of war. However, I am a great deal more amazed by the commonality that we share. Everyone wants to be remembered for what they did so they take souvenirs with them to show others what they did and what they went through. But they are also showing is that the enemy is also a human being who has many of the same feelings and thoughts and ideas and goals that they have. Going to the temple to have the flags blessed and perhaps a religious ceremony for their protection is something that is not uncommon in any country regardless of culture. There are two sides to human beings one extremely compassionate patriotic gracious and the other brutal destructive and jingoistic. Some would call it the argument between the new man one who is redeemed and saved versus one who is not redeemed and saved both of these creatures exist in every man. Brothers let us be compassionate to one another and for Bear each other in love.
Good points.
@@TheHistoryUnderground JP are you a Pennsylvania native? I myself am an amateur historian who also talked in the educational system. But I prefer to think of myself as a good old Pennsylvania stumpjumper!
Finally got a Type 90 Japanese helmet with the rare padded cloth cover after I waiting patiently for years, this one proved unique.
On arrival the helmet had no chin straps except small angled cut pieces remaining. Type 90s had a intricate knot chin strap system that took some prior knowledge to loosen if affixed to the chin. So whoever took the helmet as a souvenir did not want to touch the body or take the time unfasten the straps and instead used a bayonet to make it quicker cuts for removal. The deceased was most likely face down on the ground as the cover has two rips on the front brim on impact to the ground.
Sometimes hints of history are with a particular item, recognizing signs of how it changed ownership provide a greater story if you know what to look for.
One of my uncles was in the Navy in WWII. I have a few artifacts that got passed down to me. Two navy shirts with my family name stenciled on them, and a fire axe from the aircraft carrier he was on. He was a lucky man. The carrier he was on, was sunk, a month or two after he lect the ship. The USS Princeton.
Wow!
I subscribed to you channel a while back. One amazing video after another. I’m impressed.
Thanks 🙏🏼
I would imagine that before the majority of these Marines ever set foot on their first beachhead not too many of them could have ever imagined the thought of them knocking teeth out to keep for souvenirs, but after seeing what was done to dead Marines by the Japanese and just the horrors of war it became a non issue. Just shows how fast humans can become desensitized just like watching too much news has hardened many to the violence in this country every day.
Yeah, I would imagine that they got desensitized fast.
I thank you both for showing these bringbacks. It is what it is. It happened so it is important to discuss.
Excellent video as always, fascinating history. Thank you for it.
I can’t wait to visit the museum and see some of these artifacts in person.
It’s awesome.
War is probably the most horrific experience on the face of the earth. Anybody that goes through it (especially voluntary) I feel they deserve whatever they take. Flags helmets or even teeth! The horrors can never out weigh the price that “just” soldiers make for OUR freedom! I am blessed for all my life that WW2 soldiers made for my family and I.
So good! I have a copy of With The old Breed….great book! Great episode
Thanks. My favorite book.
Another great episode! Thanks!
Very interesting. I never even heard of that happening. Great job by both of you for telling it like it is.
This was amazing, some dark and upsetting, but we need to know this. Thank You So Much.👍❤
Very interesting, My great-grandfather fought in the Pacific Theater. He brought back pearls of which he gave to my great-grandmother. Among other things, he also brought back teeth. We keep the items in a safety-deposit box. I always wondered about the teeth & unfortunately he passed before I got the opportunity to set & talk with him about anything concerning the war. I’m so glad that we have these places to honor them & tell all aspects of their story.
I knew a Vietnam veteran sniper who was discharged under section 8. He had removed one of the eyes of each one of the enemy who he had personally killed. He removed the eye lens and drilled them with a dental drill bit to string together like a string of pearls. He had shown me a string with about 50 of them that he managed to bring home before he was discharged. He tried unsuccessfully to sell it to the Smithsonian. I never knew what happened to the strand after he was convicted and incarcerated in Angola State Prison. It really wasn't gruesome to look at if you didn't know what it was, but having known afterwards I'd say it was just horrible. He told me that others cut off ears or fingers as trophies.
They picked a fight and got their teeth knocked out. Serves them right.
The taking of war trophies was severely limited during my Iraq deployment in 2008-09. So much has changed. I was able to buy goods from the locals and send them home, but at least twice during my redeployment (Army speak for going home) special dogs checked our duffel bags for drugs and weapons.
Yeah, I think they’ve gone a bit too far there.
@@TheHistoryUnderground Yea, almost nothing was allowed to be brought back. I've seen a couple of helmets,few mag pouches, and a handful of insignia.Not much more than that.But I'm sure those who had the opportunity brought back much more...
My Father had a Japanese sword that had a carved ivory handle. In the recesses of the carving it had dried blood and it always have me a bad feeling even though I found it to be fascinating.
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Frankly "With the Old Breed" should be required reading/listening in highschool .
But more importantly with ALL new members going into Congress .
Dr. Sledge was proud of his service and proud of being a Marine , but he was most certainly against war . The Pacific war was barbaric as any war could be and the term "take no prisoners" was on full display with the Marines .
100%
There was an Army division in the Pacific that was proud of the fact that they never took even one prisoner during the war.
@@jameslackiejr5913 , i have no doubt of that after
It's best to always tell the truth. I see no problem with the showing of these teeth and the practice of taking them. It brings a sense of realism to what these guys endured and had to do just to cope. I was stationed in Panama during the Central America and Contra Wars. I never brought back anything controversial, but I still have all my maps, a watch, and a whole slew of photographs to go with it. I sadly lost my notebook with all the details of certain missions and operations, positions and such. My collection is modest and not near as interesting as these guys. History needs to be remembered lest we repeat it. A fact sadly lost on the youth of today. Thank you for your wonderful series and attention to detail. Love your channel. Sgt. M.E.Oswald, C Co. 3/5 INF, Fort Kobbe. Deactivated and reactivated as C Co. 2/187 INF, Fort Kobbe CZ
My father saw action in four invasions in the Maine Corps on Bougainville, Emirau, Guam & Okinawa. He came back home on a hospital ship while his seabag was back on Guadalcanal. In it all broken down was a Garand, M1 carbine, Thompson, BAR & a Jap skull he hung from the entrance of his tent. Being a Marine Raider, a skull & Southern Cross was their patch. By the time he got the contents of the sea bag back a couple years later, he said he could fit everything in a cigar box. He had all kinds of photos of him and his buddies taking pictures near the entrance of the tent with the skull. Everyday pictures of him giving someone a haircut or goofing around. We still have them. The war was heavily censored. He says that after a fight, you left all the war souvenirs alone. There was too much of a chance of stepping on a mine or booby trap. He saw one guy still breathing with the top of his head shot off and brains oozing out on the ground. The captain he was standing next to commented about it and stuck his foot in the cavity. The guys started to squirm on the ground like a smashed bug. He remembered entering caves after they shot flame throwers in them and putting burnt up guys out of their misery with a bullet to the head. Being a young going through this, you’d have to be real scum or a phony baloney to be occupied with gathering war memorabilia while your buddies are dying, shot between the eyes or blown to bits.
I had 4 uncles who served in WW2, two in the navy and two in the army. One served on the refitted USS SanFrancisco, one on the USS Cod, one uncle was in the island hopping US Army troops, wounded on Guadalcanal, the other saw action on Kiska. None or them spoke much of their experience but did state the Japanese were brutal. I'm fortunate to have one of my uncle's navy photo album, interesting action photos. You present facts and I enjoy your channel immensely, thanks for presenting the facts.
Thank you for your videos! Definitely top tier
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Another great episode!
Barbaric yet somehow I can see the act of doing this giving the marine a sense of grounding or a mental link to the physical act of war. It's brutal, but in the context of war meaning must still be made, even if purpose was already created.
Definitely complicated.
Those swords are sometimes worth a fortune depending on how old they are. Extremely valuable
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@@TheHistoryUnderground if Erik has some, have him take the tang (handle) off by a professional and it could add to the historical value not only from the war but the fact that it could be hundreds of years old.
For years my grandparents ran a veteran's foster home (for veterans who were disabled mentally & could'nt care for themselves nor did the families want or, in a very few cases, could they take care of them) & I literally grew up with these men. There's nothing that can be said to change my opinion of them. There was so much anger at the Japanese for Pearl Harbor I completely understand the taking of teeth.
Got pretty ugly, for sure. Like I said, it was controversial even at the time.
Great episode, cheers bro
My Dad was in the US Army in Phillipines during WW2. Some soldiers did go check the dead Japnese soldiers for gold teeth,etc my Dad declined to do that.
I truly appreciate your detailed reports on the U.S. Civil War and definately WWII (my dad and uncle understandably never said a lot). Do you think you might do a "stories never told" regarding Vietnam? For folks my age it would mean a lot. Thanks for all your research and work. Keep travelng.
I do plan on going to Vietnam someday.
Very impressive collection !
Awesome job as always and I'm glad that you kept your integrity to historical fact without bias, war is never black and white and there's no good guys and bad guys. We're all just animals at the end of the day, just trying to survive.
I'd love to read a transcript of this Marines document that he wrote, if at all possible? :)
I may have to see about that.
@@TheHistoryUnderground Please do! I also wanted to know what he wrote. Thanks!
Nice historical video. You guys do a great job on putting your videos together. Thanks for sharing . God bless Dave blackburn
Some propoganda that we made was banned, pictures of Germans dying with the photographs of their wives and children held in their hands soaked with both Blood and tears pressed to their mouths in the Final Goodbye caused terrible grief among the Allied soldiers . The Photographers responded by taking even more pictures of the dead soldiers kissing their loved one as they drew their last breath. The Chaplains told of the moral that this was effecting with the troops preparing their pictures for the “Final Kiss” The result was that the COs ordering the photographers not to take any more of these pictures .
Nice Episode!!
My father was an Army MP and brought back so many souvenirs from WW2, it was unbelievable. Japanese swords, daggers both from Japan and Germany, a German luger taken right off the assembly line of a German munitions factory, two German and one Japanese rifles, flags, coins and currency, I could go on and on. Growing up my brother and I were not allowed to play with any of these things, but Dad would let us look and examine them. Sadly one day in the twilight of his years his home was burglarized and everything was stolen except for the German luger which he had hidden away. The police took a report but told us without serial numbers and photos it would be very unlikely any of the items would be recovered. A very devasting loss for sure.
You are beginning to walk around that place with a camera so much that people are going to start calling you "Crazy Joe McCloskey" lol
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The fact is, not everyone is affected the same way by the same circumstances or stimulations. Just how it is.
It's annoying to hear those who have lived in a bubble their entire lives trying to tell those of us who haven't how we're supposed to feel.
The fact is, war is reality and reality is war. War is nothing more than organized struggle for resource.
The bubble and your comfort is the artificial construct.
I've read about WW II and the personal accounts and the more I read the more I understand the hell Marines lived capturing the islands. I've come to believe the United States Marines and Navy Corpsmen that fought in the Pacific are the greatest men that ever walked the face of this earth.
great job you two my father was in the flying tigers and had stories about the war
All armies have collected items from their enemies. One of the Doolittle Raiders who died in China after his plane crash landed had his bomber jacket pulled from his body by a Japanese officer who then had it altered so he could wear it. It was only recovered because he was caught up in the trial of four other officers accused in the death of four other Raiders. 3 by firing squad and 1 of neglect. U.S. investigators found it in his home after the war when they came to interview him. Needless to say, they were not happy about it. But all they could do was take it back. They determined he committed no crime.
Interesting.
@@TheHistoryUnderground There is an excellent book called Last Mission To Tokyo by Michel Paradis that focuses mainly on the trial but does give a lot of detail on the events leading up to it. I recommend it highly. He's a good story teller as well as a historian. Hey! Sounds like someone we all know! Enjoy your work.
Fascinating. Thanks for sharing
This is fantastic! Is any of this on display? I have a Japanese bone bring back that someone made into a letter opener! My great uncle Barbie was in the 2nd Marine Division during the war, he fought in Gaudalacanal, and killed 20 Japanese soldiers in a fire fight, protecting his men.
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I had an uncle that served in the Pacific during WWII. He ended up an alcoholic after he got back and I can understand why. There’s no way I would judge or criticize those men after what they went through over there.
Excellent video.On books about WW2 infantry combat;I think E.B. Sledge's "With the Old Breed" is the Best of a real combat Marine in the Pacific and Audie Murphy MOH book " To Hell and Back" is the Best of the American infantry soldier in the African/European AOC.
Interesting have a good weekend sir!
As time marches on, clothe items become more scarce unless carefully looked after. Care for these items.
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Thanks!
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Are you going to any other islands in this series or will we see any more of Saipan?
More of Saipan and then a few more islands.
The gold teeth doesn't really bother me. Like you said, it was about grabbing anything valuable...My Grandfather served in the 328th infantry in Europe in WW2. He brought back a Nazi youth knife and a 8mm mauser that a civilian pointed at him while clearing a building. They were what he valued during the war. Thank you all veterans for your service!
Wow!
Always learning from our past.
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Nothing like finding out that wasn't grandpas spare change he was rolling around in his pocket, he got some gold teeth in his pocket
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Controversy? No, its war and that’s why it’s called war.
It was pretty controversial at the time.
Myself and a group of friends metal detected camp cable here in Australia which was a camp for 30000 US soldiers . They fought in the pacific and were at rest and training at camp cable . We found a few Japanese items , and I did see a set of gold teeth dug up by another person in my group . We all knew where it was from as it was a frame for the jaw made out of gold . It likely was removed from
A Japanese soldier .
Wow!
I hope Eric is open tomorrow. I'm going to Gettysburg for a fundraising event.
When I was In sixth grade a kid brought a German stalhelm with a bullet hole through it, and a Japanese soldiers skull to show and tell. The items were passed around and handeled by all the kids in the class. I don't know why this memoy has stuck with me all these years. I can't understand why his father would let him bring these things to a bunch of ten year olds.
Only shocking from the perspective of 2022,those young men were sent into the crucible of war where the rule was kill or be killed.
Well, it was shocking then as well.
Did not know that they did that. But its history. Nice artifacts
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old breed was my latest read. what a great book
War no one really wins... especially when stories like these are told.
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This was an amazing collection I have some friends two girls that we hung around when we were in high school and their grandfather left them a 45 case and the bullet together it had already been fired they just use it as a storage place and inside you could even on the head stamp of the 45 case was like 43 or 44 it was a War era too. Anyway inside were two little dice made from the bones of a Japanese soldier, they had carved and made these little dice that was so cool. You know War brings out the worst and the best in men and I have never been through the combat like they seen on those campaigns of island hopping against the Japanese it was the most brutal and horrific hell I can't even fathom what it must have been like and I'm a Gulf War veteran but nothing like that! I don't judge them I'm just glad they did it and I'm glad they won and I'm glad we're not speaking Japanese or German to do this very day I don't give a damn what they did! We were attacked and we responded they awoke a sleeping giant... anyway let's just hope we learn from our history and don't have to do it again! Nice collection I want to personally think Matt for what he did even if this is after his passing... I want to think that generation for what they did! And thank you for showing us this video and very nice very interesting...
Thanks for the birthday upload ☺️ good day sir
Happy birthday 🎂
@@TheHistoryUnderground many thanks, friend of friends 🥳
All war is tragic and ETO had many terrible things happen, to soldiers and civilians. But in the Pacific theatre the Japanese seemed to take the horror to a whole new level. I can only imagine the kinds of things our soldiers and marines saw and experienced. To me, taking the teeth isn't something I would even consider, but I refuse to judge the man, it was a different time.
Thanks.
Years ago I was watching an interview of a crew member of the Enola Gay, it was the navigator or bombardier. His job was to go back into the bomb bay and arm the bomb. This consisted of removing three red plugs and replacing them with three green plugs which would allow the circuit to be completed. As he was talking about it, he pulled one out of his pocket. I think he had all three. All I could think was how much would they be worth to a serious collector. I always wondered where they ended up.
Back in the 70s I remember watching some old war movie that was in black and white can't remember the name of it or who was in it but it was made in the early 50s but it was during ww2 and there was a officer who was with a Sargent trying to stop someone in the unit arrested for stealing the gold teeth out of dead Japanese soldiers he was doing it to try to get rich in the movie to a point where he was crazy and didn't care if it was a Japanese or American soldier he took the gold teeth if they had them and he was shooting any that surrendered just to take the teeth but this Sargent and officer couldn't prove he was doing it and they ended up killing him in battle but I can't remember the name of the movie
Interesting.
There is a lot of things done back then that is not done today. History is what it is and that is all.
Interesting y'all. As a vet I hate to see this kind of stuff. But you have to wonder if by doing this stuff if it didn't help them to keep their sanity. 👍👍👍👍👍
Definitely interesting.
War bring out both best and worst out of people.
Yes it does
Thank you for another great video. The teeth thing is controversial but it wasn't so much then among the men who fought on those islands. The Japanese were a brutal and cruel enemy. They gave no quarter and expected none. They didn't follow the Geneva convention like the Germans mostly did. Sledges book, ,"with the old breed" along with others illustrates this very candidly. This is history, as brutal and cold as it is, it is history... Thank you for these great videos.
My uncle fought in the Philippines and I remember him telling me at the end of the war he got a Japanese Zero. Not sure if it was given to him or what. But he didn't have the means to bring it back at that time so he left it there. Something cool he did bring back was 2 Japanese swords taken from a Japanese commander, which was super cool.