US Marines transfer a wounded man to a stretcher during the battle for Peleliu, Palau Island, South Pacific; September 1944.

Wounded but alive

A US Marine armed with a BAR (Brownie Automatic Rifle) inspects a Japanese foxhole during the Battle of Guam; 1944. 

Search for hidden sniper

American soldiers at the flag of Stars and Stripes on top of Mount Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima, Japan: 
16 Marines and two Navy medics (center). Behind on the right, on the coast, the American landing ships from which the invasion of the island was carried out are visible.
The names of the servicemen depicted:
1) sits on the leftmost side of the group, private first class Ira Hamilton Hayes (1923-1955);
2) behind him is Jack Thurman, at the time of the battle he was 19 years old, he served as a sniper;
3) First Lieutenant Harold George Schrier (1916-1971), he, along with Thurman, was a participant in the raising of the flag (first and second) over Suribachi;
4) Franklin R. Sousley;
5) Sergeant Michael Strank, died on March 1, 1945 here, on Iwo Jima, from a shell explosion from an American ship;
6) John H. Bradley;
7) Clarence H. Garrett;
8) Graydon W. Dyce;
9) Howard M. Snyder;
10) Henry O. Hansen;
11) Corporal Harlon Henry Block, he stands behind Hansen and only part of his head is visible. Member of the 2nd flag-raising on Suribachi, died on March 1, 1945 from a Japanese shell explosion;
12) Philip L. Ward
13) Fred J. Walzak
14) private first class Harold Henry Schultz (1925-1995), 
      also a participant in the raising of the flag over 
      Suribachi;
15) Harold P. Keller;
16) Thomas J Hekmanek, Jr.;
17) Raymond H. Larsen
18) John T. Schmitt

Total group of flagraisers

Marines carry back from the battlefield a wounded comrade on a stretcher; Saipan, Mariana Islands, Pacific Ocean, June 1944.

One of the wounded

Three U.S. Marines point Springfields .303 bolt action rifles toward enemy territory from a sand-bagged foxhole on the front lines on Guadalcanal on Oct. 14, 1942. 
   Not all Marine units were equipped with M-1 Garand rifles until the campaign was almost over.

One is bolt action, the other semi-automatic

US Marines advance through a burning village on Japanese-held Saipan, Mariana Islands, Pacific Ocean; June-July 1944.

Scene of action

1st Division US Marines are resting at the stacked pyramids of M1903 Springfield rifles on the coast of Guadalcanal Island against the backdrop of US Navy ships; Solomon Islands, August 1942.



Need some rest from heavy fighting

Two American Marines survey the view from atop Mount Suribachi two days after the famous flag-raising took place in February 1945. 

All quiet down below now

A Japanese soldier surrendering to three US Marines in Kwajalein, one of the Marshall Islands; January 1944.

No way out but give up

Marines resting on Guadalcanal. They have a Big Job to Accomplish and They Do It!

Marines on Guadalcanal

US Marines with sniffer dogs on Iwo Jima. The soldier in the foreground is armed with an Ithaca 37 pump-action shotgun; February 1945.

Dogs to sniff out enemy

U.S. Marines preparatory to embarkation for New Britain. Note, LST-18 in the background; January, 1944. 

Destined for Cape Gloucester, New Britain

“Nipper,” a Japanese sentry dog, who voluntarily joined the Marines on Cape Gloucester, poses with Marine Master Technical Sergeant George E. Ausman; Cape Gloucester, Island of New Britain, Territory of New Guinea, January 1944.

Sentry who joined the Marines

US Marine carries a Browning M1917 machine gun during the battle for Cape Gloucester on the island of New Britain, Territory of New Guinea. The picture was taken after nineteen days of defensive fighting against the Japanese counteroffensive at Hill 600; January 1944.

Battle-weary Marines

USMC Boot Camp Photograph during the War in San Diego, Ca.

USMC Boot Camp 1942

War dogs accompany their handlers in a search for enemy holdouts. With their excellent hearing and sense of smell, the dogs performed admirably; Guam, Mariana Islands, Central Pacific ocean; June 1945.

Searching for hiding enemy

An American Marine poses with a captured Japanese Type 94 tankette; Marshall Islands, Pacific Ocean, February 1944.

Infantry support or for reconnaissance

Private James Sweek of the 2nd United States Marine Division with a captured Japanese Type 92 70mm Battalion Howitzer on Saipan, Mariana Islands; July 1944.

Japanese artillery piece

US M3 self-propelled guns and Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines during the fighting at Cape Gloucester, New Britain, Papua New Guinea, South Pacific Ocean; January, 1944.

Camouflaged Marine Guns

An American self-propelled gun M3 leaves the landing ship on the coast of Cape Gloucester on the island of New Britain. Papua New Guinea, South Pacific Oean; January, 1944.

Self-propelled gun off the LST

U.S. Marines invade Tinian Island in the Pacific.

Marines on Tinian

American Marines in front of destroyed Japanese tanks; a Type 95 "Ha-Go" and a Type 97 "Chi-Ha". Near the tank is the body of a dead Japanese tanker; 1944.


Destroyed Japanese tanks

On one of the Pacific islands, a Marine "gropes" a Japanese soldier. The "groping" consisted of pricking with the bayonet the possibly dead Japanese. This was done to find out if he was really dead or faking it, as this was a technique used by the Japanese to later immolate themselves. If you look at the tip of the bayonet, you will see that it is darkened, it is blood, which shows that this Marine has already pricked other soldiers.
taken from fb/Daniel Del Moral

Checking out or 'Groping'

A Douglas R4D transport plane (center) loads wounded Marines on Iwo Jima’s South Airfield, for evacuation to a Navy hospital on Guam; March 1945.
   Mount Suribachi is visible on the left.

South Airfield with transport planes

Private Ahrens was found dead after killing several Japanese in hand to hand combat. His last words were that the Enemy must not have known he was a United States Marine. He was Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor!

US Marines

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