Lot 437

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Description:

Rene Gagnon WWII Letter, Shortly Before Iwo Jima 

Two page autograph letter signed, on watermarked paper of "U.S. Marine Corps", 7.25" x 10.5". Dated " Charleston S.C., Feb 12, 1944", and signed by Gagnon as "Love as ever Rene". Accompanied by the autographed and signed mailing envelope torn open along the top edge. Letter near fine with mailing folds.

Gagnon was one of the six soldiers pictured in "Raising The Flag on lwo Jima", arguably the most famous photograph of all time. In the autograph letter signed, Gagnon writes to girlfriend Pauline Harnois while guarding the Naval Prison Camp in Charleston, South Carolina:

"...I've got good news .. The list of the men that are shipping .. I'm not going with this bunch, that means that I'll be able to get my furlough next month.. Boy I just can't imagine how nice it will be to get back to you even if it is only for a few days. Will make them count for years … "

As it would turn out Gagnon remained in South Carolina for only about 1 more month. He then was transferred to 5th Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, California. Four days later, on 8 April,1944 he was transferred to Company E, 2d Battalion, 28th Marines. After training at Camp Pendleton  in Hawaii, Gagnon landed with his unit on Iwo Jima on 19 February 1945. 

This letter was written only a few years before the famous flag raising at Iwo Jima. On February 23, Bradley and Navy corpsman, PhM2c. Gerald Ziehme (replaced PhM3c. Langley who was wounded in action on February 21), were part of the 40-man combat patrol (mostly from Third Platoon, Easy Company) were sent to climb up the east slope of Mount Suribachi to seize and occupy the crest and to raise an American flag to signal that the mountaintop was captured. On top, the Marines found a steel pipe to attach the flag unto. The flagstaff was taken to the highest position on the crater. Seeing the raising of the national colors immediately caused loud cheering from the Marines, sailors, and Coast Guardsmen on the beach below and from the men on the ships near the beach. After the flag was raised, Bradley, who was with the group of Marines near the flagstaff, pitched in to help the flagstaff stay vertical in the terrific winds on the volcano.

Rene Gagnon is best known for being one of the six flag-raisers who helped raise the second U.S. flag at Iwo Jima; which was the one memorialized by the Pulitzer prize winning photo, and initiated using a larger flag in order for it to be seen more easily from the ships, beaches, and land off and around Mount Suribachi. Marine Sgt. Michael Strank was ordered to ascend Mount Suribachi with Marines from his squad and raise the replacement flag and return with the first flag that was flying on top.

The Iwo Jima flag raising was a moment of enormous historical importance. Of the six men who participated in the raising of the flag, three were killed in action and died over the next few days. 

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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