Letters from the First Battalion

Iwo Jima: PFC Robert E. Carmichael (B/1/24) "writes first letter home since landing on D-day." USMC photo.

You'd be amazed at the number of letters these boys write and receive, even though a lot of them never went through eighth grade and their folks are illiterate. It's a great thing to see them sweating with a pencil.

Philip E. Wood, Jr. A/1/24th Marines

Wartime Letters

All
Company A
Company B
Company C
Company D
HQ Company
Others

I Am Lucky That I Am Alive Today

NEW
Letters from William J. Rewerts

After seeing combat on Namur and Saipan, Willie Rewerts writes home with reassurances and requests.

Ringside Seats to a Mass Hari-Kari

NEW

Letter from Robert W. Swanson

A visual signalman describes the unforgettable sights of combat, including mass suicides on Saipan.

In Sunny California

NEW

Letter from Amos F. Lewis

An eighteen-year-old Marine describes his first cross-country train trip, and the experience of traveling from North Carolina to California on a Pullman coach.

We Headed For The Unknown

NEW
Letter from Paul W. Major

Paul Major ran the battalion switchboard at Roi-Namur, and describes going into action alongside “Big Red” Dyess.

They Got A Lot Of Us

NEW
Letter from Donald L. McCoy

An ammo carrier for the 81mm platoon recalls a Fourth of July with “all kinds of bombs.”

My Very Dear Girls!

Letters by Philip E. Wood, Jr.

Over seventy letters, from peacetime days at Yale through the landing on Saipan. Also includes condolence letters written after his death.

All The Way Or Not At All

Letter from Arthur B. Ervin

A single letter, written in April of 1944 concerning a return to active duty, receiving the Navy Cross, and indications of trouble at home.

Smokes For Soldiers

Letter from Walter B. Russell

A future Able Company “mustang” sends thanks for a holiday gift while on Embassy duty in London.

I Was Blood From Head To Foot

Letter from Donald Rothweiler

From a hospital bed in Seattle, “Red” Rothweiler updates his worried family about his adventures on Saipan.

The Joe You Usta Know

Letters from Joseph D. Swoyer

A selection of letters from 1944 and 1945, concerning service in two companies, life in uniform, and the death of friends.

Sarah June 28, 2012 at 4:32 am

Reply

PLZ help if possible, I’m trying to find ANY info on a Robert Maurice Jordan (Navy Vet) about 1946 bikinni island (atomic bomb testing) etc. Our home burn down in 2009 which was also the residence of Robert (Bo) Maurice Jordan before he passed, and we lost everything so i am trying to find pics etc to duplicate and start over, THNK YOU VERY MUCH
1. missingmarines June 29, 2012 at 3:14 pm
  
  Reply
  
  Hi Sarah,
  
  Unfortunately, I don’t have any information on Robert Jordan. There are a few people doing research on that name on ancestry.com – they have posted some pictures there, which may be a good start for you. If you want to research his military service, I’d suggest writing to the National Archives; they can send you a copy of his documentation for free (if you’re next of kin) or for a fee. Try this request and see what happens:
  
  http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/
  
  Best of luck in your search!
  
  Geoffrey
David Schrage July 25, 2022 at 10:06 pm

Reply

Can You Give Me Any Information About My Uncle Sgt Francis M.Gill …Member Of 24th Reg 4Th Marine Division