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Post by armyjunk on Apr 25, 2010 3:27:48 GMT 8
Hello everyone, I have a few new things to add to this thread, I think you all will like this. Yesterday I was in Illinois at the Danville Military Museum and the Chanute Air Museum they have a couple of Bataan items. First here is William R. Wright’s Messkit, the description with the Kit says he was with the 200th Coast Artillery. 1 Second, Here are the Helmet and a letter belonging to Merle Lype 2 3 Third we have the messkit of Harry V Johnson, Harry Johnson Harry Vernon Johnson, age 87, of Danville, passed away at 6:25 am on Friday, September 14, 2007 Harry graduated from Danville High School in 1939. He then enlisted in the United States Army Air Corp and served during World War II. He was stationed in the Philippines as an aircraft mechanic with the 17th Pursuit Squadron Bataan. Harry was a Japanese Prisoner Of War for three and a half years and participated and survived the Bataan death march. After returning from the war, Harry worked for Jewel/Eisner Food Stores for 36 years before his retirement in 1985. He was very active member of the Bethel Lutheran Church of Danville, and also active in the Danville Area Chapter of the Barber Shop Quartet. Harry was a member of the Illiana Ex-POW Chapter of Danville, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and a life member of Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor. 4 5 And last a plan of Cabanatuan 6
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2010 6:57:18 GMT 8
So its a tin with names and dates on it, what of it! is it genuine, can you prove it? has it got some ones name on it? some one that is traceable? If you can put it with some one in the forces etc then its of historical worth, otherwise its just a tin!
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Post by armyjunk on Apr 25, 2010 9:08:36 GMT 8
What a nice person.......
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Post by buster on Apr 25, 2010 11:27:36 GMT 8
Agreed, ArmyJunk - there's a doubting Thomas in every crowd.
It's a beautiful find.
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Post by okla on Apr 25, 2010 20:34:06 GMT 8
Hey Army....I gotta think this relic could very well be legit. It would appear that the dates are a kind of log recorded by the owner of the mess kit. The Corregidor date would appear to just be a note of when "the Rock" capitulated and in no way means that this particular GI was there. The other dates would indicate his actually having been at these particular places on these particular dates. I am a believer. What's the harm?
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Post by buster on Apr 25, 2010 22:18:34 GMT 8
Yes okla, if our owner was at O'Donnell on 13 April, he may have been in the Death March. Then he was transferred to Capas, which is consistent with the movements of the time. It is part diary, part notebook. Is it yours or was it photographed on display in a museum?
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Post by armyjunk on Apr 25, 2010 23:40:44 GMT 8
The mess kit belonged to William R Wright, He was in Camp No.23 I assume this was a camp in Japan, but I don’t know that. He was with Harry Johnson. This is the info on the placard. The kit is in the Air Museum at Chanute, Illinois
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Post by okla on Apr 26, 2010 5:14:06 GMT 8
Hey Army......Those "credentials" are good enough for me. Count me as a "believer". I was one anyhow. The museum at Chanute Field isn't likely to display an artifact with dubious authentification, methinks. Man, o man, if this "piece of tin" could talk. Thanks for posting.
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Post by fots2 on Apr 26, 2010 18:09:15 GMT 8
Armyjunk, its rare to see history with a personalized touch. Thanks for that.
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Post by The Phantom on Apr 28, 2010 6:23:15 GMT 8
Very nice A. J. Thanks for sharing. I'd also say it's authentic.
Who would go to the trouble to make a fake one?
It appears to have been done over time, look at the differences in the carving done. Some bigger, some deeper, but all apparently by the same hand.
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