Flags of Our Fathers- Opinions

[Tom Yanacek]

Here is the other side.

[Tom Yanacek]

Here are the markings from the top of the receiver on the Arisaka rifle. The Crysanthamum Crest is still intact. Below the crest, are the Japanese Kanji meaning '99 Type'. A hand-peened number '866' is stamped above the crest.

[Tom Yanacek]

Here is the serial number. The symbol preceding the serial number indicates that this rifle is a series 3. The symbol after the serial number is the marking of the Nagoya Arsenal.

[Tom Yanacek]

My father used a dog tag blank to mark this rifle his. He punched in his initials P.J.Y. and USMC.

[Tom Yanacek]

Here is the Type 30 Bayonet, scabbard, and leather frog.

[Tom Yanacek]

The symbol on the left is of the Kokura Arsenal, while the symbol on the right is of an unknown manufacturer. This bayonet was produced by a company under supervision by Kokura.

[Tom Yanacek]

Now here is the really neat part. 61 years ago, my father was on a small volcanic island somewhere in the Pacific. He wasn't sure that he would remember the name, so he scratched it into the handle of the bayonet.

[Tom Yanacek]

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. On the other side of the handle my father had scratched in the other half of the name. Both this bayonet, and the Arisaka were taken by my father on Iwo Jima. The rifle use to have the leather sling on it, but it crumbled apart many, many years ago. I guess I played with this too much as a kid.

[Ken B.]

Tom
No problem posting the items here. At least to me anyway. Your father was a very brave and courageous man. He did what he and many thought was right. My Grandfather served on the USS Davis 395 (Destroyer) in the Atlantic theater from 44-45. He passed 2 years ago and I miss him dearly. It's very nice to have some keepsakes from his time in service.

As for the movie, I enjoyed it very much. Not many in the theater attendance wise. Some were eldery gentlemen. As the credits rolled after the movie they didn't move. The movie must have moved them so to speak. It touched my heart. I sat in the middle of the theater like I always do to get a full perspective. There was an eldery couple sitting on the end of the row when my girlfirend and I stood up and went to proceed toward the exit. I could just see the expression on their faces as they still sat. It really hit home. I told my girl to sit back down and let them gather themselves before we moved behind them after they got up. We didn't want to cut in front of them out of respect. The movie was well done in my opinion. It depicted the story of Iwo and those who were exploited during the 2nd flag raising. All very brave men. Braver than I'll ever be.

[Tom Yanacek]

Tom
No problem posting the items here. At least to me anyway. Your father was a very brave and courgeous man. He did what he and many thought was right. My Grandfather served on the USS Davis 395 (Destroyer) in the Atlantic theater from 44-45. He passed 2 years ago and I miss him dearly. It's very nice to have some keepsakes from his time in service.

As for the movie, I enjoyed it very much. Not many in the theater attendance wise. Some were eldery gentlemen. As the credits rolled after the movie they didn't move. The movie must have moved them so to speak. It touched my heart. I sat in the middle of the theater like I always do to get a full perspective. There was an eldery couple sitting on the end of the row when my girlfirend and I stood up and went to proceed toward the exit. I could just see the expression on their faces as they still sat. It really hit home. I told my girl to sit back down and let them gather themselves before we moved behind them after they got up. We didn't want to cut in front of them out of respect. The movie was well done in my opinion. It depicted the story of Iwo and those who were exploited during the 2nd flag raising. All very brave men. Braver than I'll ever be.

Hello Ken,
Thank you for your sentiments, and for the flag at half staff. You are a first-class act. My deepest sympathy to you as well for the loss of your Grandfather.
Best regards,
Tom

[MauserKar98k]

Wow, awsome items tyanacek! They have a ton of value, both because they were actually on Iwo Jima and becuase they are precious momentos of your father's service in the war. I'm sure the guys in the Firearms Forum would love to see these.

I wish I had more of my dad's stuff from Vietnam, especially so I can remember him better, considering what a good man he was and how tragic a manner in which he died. My father was a great man, the kind of man who you would have to know to really appreciate. He came down with intestinal cancer at the end of last year at the relatively young age of 52. He was forced to have 2/3s of his stomach removed to get rid the cancer. He went from about 250 pounds all the way down to about 140. He looked like a concentration camp survivor. He wanted and loved to eat, but he was literally starving to death due to his tiny stomach capacity. He needed a feeding tube to keep him nourished but it wasn't enough. It was heartbreaking to see a good man like him, shrunken by disease the way he was. Describing my father as just a "good man" seems so inadequate. He was just a hell of a guy, beyond words. Of all the people to come down with a dibilitating disease like that, my dad was probably the least deserving of his burden. He was probably the best father a kid could have. The reason why my father, who was probably sick 5 days in his whole life, never needed to wear a coat during the winter, and was perfectly health several years before, would be sickened and eventually killed by this cruel disease has eluded my family even to this day. He became so thin that he was able to fit into his old Navy uniform from his service at the tail-end of Vietnam. This made him very glad and it seemed as though he had at least one ace in the ****ty hand that life had delt him. Throuout the entire time he was sick, his attitude remained unchanged. He was gonna fight it all the way and it was just "another bump in the road". He was convinced he was going to beat it until the very end. His attitude was unchanged even when the cancer came back a second time. I don't think anyone in my family really realizes how difficult the whole thing was for him. He was cold all the time because all of his body fat was gone and he was in pain 24/7 from his cut stomach muscles and tube feeding tube in his stomach. He told me that his stomach always hurt, but he almost never showed it. It appeared he was on the road to recovery when his feeding tube started leaking early in the morning of March 2nd, 2006. We tried to get him a direct-admit to the hospital but all that did was waste time and we ended up taking him to the emergency room anyway. He needed to get to the main cancer center in Madison, WI but he was in no condition to make the trip, even in an ambulence. He had recently been moved to a stronger pain-killer and he would sleep with one eye open and he could no longer ever communicate with us besides mumbling to us and he still was in pain all of the time. When he was in the Kenosha Hospital, the doctors there said that the cancer had spread all through his body. This was bull-**** because we knew he had just had a scan for cancer recently and it showed that it was only in his small intestine and esophagus. I'll will probably never forgive the doctors at that hospital. They basically left my father to die. He needed immidate surgery but he didn't get it because the doctors need to be back early in the morning to do other surgeries. It figures, my dad always hated Kenosha and the town ended up screwing him in the end. My father lost his brave fight with cancer early in the morning of March 3rd, 2006. He never gave up. It was 4 months short of his 53rd birthday. My mother blames herself. She says that we should have got him airlifted to Madison or we should have got him to the hospital sooner. It is not her fault in the least, but I can't convince her of that. My family had him cremated in his old uniform, the old uniform that he was so proud to have worn again. It was the old style wool Navy uniform, navy blue with the 13-botton flap on the front of the trousers. I would have liked to have kept his uniform, but it was his wish to be buried in it and that was more important. My mother clipped off several of the bottons to save as a keepsake. I'm am just glad that my dad doesn't have to suffer anymore. I hope he is sitting up in Heaven with all the other veterans and heroes and is waiting for his family to return to him again. If there truly is life after death, then I can not wait until the day I can see him again. I am damn proud of him. It is too bad he had to go that way. I miss him dearly. I love my dad, and I always will.

MauserKar98k

[Tom Yanacek]

I'm am just glad that my dad doesn't have to suffer anymore. I hope he is sitting up in Heaven with all the other veterans and heroes and is waiting for his family to return to him again. If there truly is life after death, then I can not wait until the day I can see him again. I am damn proud of him. It is too bad he had to go that way. I miss him dearly. I love my dad, and I always will.
MauserKar98k

Hello MauserKar98k,
I am so sorry to hear this. My heart goes out to you and your family. I was luckier than you were. My Dad lived to be 82 years and 2 days old. I am very grateful for that. I too, believe that our fathers are now in a better place, having a great time, and pain free. It is my hope also that I will be able to see my Dad again when I die. In the meantime, what else can we do but go on and try to make the most of each and every day. Live as your Dad taught you, and let his spirit continue to guide you for the rest of your life. There will be a grand reunion.
Best regards,
Tom

[MauserKar98k]

Hello MauserKar98k,
I am so sorry to hear this. My heart goes out to you and your family. I was luckier than you were. My Dad lived to be 82 years and 2 days old. I am very grateful for that. I too, believe that our fathers are now in a better place, having a great time, and pain free. It is my hope also that I will be able to see my Dad again when I die. In the meantime, what else can we do but go on and try to make the most of each and every day. Live as your Dad taught you, and let his spirit continue to guide you for the rest of your life. There will be a grand reunion.
Best regards,
Tom

Thanks for the kind thoughts and words Tom. Our fathers were great men and deserved to be honored.

MauserKar98k

[nt198998]

Should have been chronological though. Not enough war scenes, but that was probably what clint wasnt going for though. I feel it is time for a german-perspective of wwii. if it was w-ss, that would be extreme.

[Mr.Jerry D]

Should have been chronological though. Not enough war scenes, but that was probably what clint wasnt going for though. I feel it is time for a german-perspective of wwii. if it was w-ss, that would be extreme.

Good idea~!
I wonder if "The forgotten Soldier" was ever considered for a movie?