WORLD WAR II GYRENE PHOTO ALBUM
page 22
Co H 3/26 (part 1)
One of my greatest privileges has been getting acquainted with Gyrenes of H 3/26. These Marines were a band of brothers in World War II and the bonds are still strong today. They remember the shared hardships and have never forgotten their fallen buddies. When the company was formed, many former Paramarines were assigned to its ranks, among them 1stLt Charlie Cona, Cpl Nic Hernandez, Pfc Joe Pagac and many others. These combat veterans provided a strong base upon which the company was built.
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(above) A portrait of H Company taken in mid-1944 before they left Camp Pendleton. NOTE: Click on the photo or HERE to view a larger image.
courtesy Joe Pagac
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 (above) Marines of Co. H 3/26 at Camp Tarawa, Hawaii–December 1944
courtesy Tom Williams
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(left) 3rd Sqd, 1st Plt, Co. H 3/26 taking a break at Camp Pendleton, mid–1944. Their squad leader, Sgt Nic Hernandez, is the Marine sitting on the right. He was a former Paramarine and Navy Cross recipient who was killed in combat on Iwo Jima.
courtesy Tom Williams
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(above) Pfc James J. Williams, USMC from Grantsville, Utah. The photo at left shows Pfc Williams home on leave during the war after parachute training. He served as a Paramarine, & later with Co. H 3/26, 5th MarDiv. Pfc Williams was killed in combat on Jwo Jima. The photo at right shows his grave in the 5th MarDiv Cemetery on
Iwo Jima–1945. courtesy Tom Williams
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(left) Marines of Co. H, 3/26 5th MarDiv in front of their tent–Camp Tarawa, November 1944.
Standing L–R: Joe Pagac (WIA), D. R. Bowers (KIA), R. M. Mushrush (WIA)
Kneeling L–R: Stan Onik(WIA), Ben Parra (WIA)
(Casualty annotations refer to the Iwo Jima campaign)
courtesy Tom Williams |
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(left) Marines of Co. H, 3/26 taking a break during a field exercise at Camp Pendleton, Calif., summer 1944.
courtesy Tom Williams |
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(above) Pfc Tom Williams, USMC. L–as a 17 year old BAR man in 1944. R–in 2002 at a USMC–HC program. Tom lives up the the motto, "Not as lean, still as mean, always a Marine." |
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(left) Marines of 3rd Sqd, 1st Plt,
Co. H, 3/26, 5th MarDiv at Camp Tarawa, November 1944 before the Iwo Jima campaign.
Standing, L–R: Pvt Tom Williams, BAR man (WIA), Sgt Nic Hernandez, squad leader (KIA),
Pfc Joe Pagac, rifleman (WIA)
Kneeling: Cpl Ben Parra,
fire team leader(WIA)
(Sgt Hernandez received a posthumous Navy Cross for heroism on Iwo Jima)
Photo courtesy Tom Williams
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H 3/26 PART 2
PHOTO ALBUM INDEX
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