War souvenirs

[Jeff Hahn]

Any of you have war souvenirs? I am thinking specifically about WWII, but any would be interesting to discuss.

My Dad was too young to serve in WWII! But friends from his neighobrhood would often send back some things. A friend sent him a Mauser 98 rifle, still in cosmoline. But, he sporterized the stock for hunting and all of the bayonet parts were lost overtime. He also had a German bayonet, a Japanese bayonet, and in later years bought a Mauser 7.56 automatic pistol from an estate. When Dad passed, my brother and I divided this stuff. I got the Mauser 98 and the Japanese bayonet.

[Treker47]

I have a pair of binoculars that were used by my Dad in the navy. Still use them at times and they are as good as my new ones which are more compact.

[jdw174]

When I was a youngster, I remember visiting my uncle's home. On one wall was a Japanese flag, complete with bullet holes and bloodstains along with various writings in Japanese. In a corner was a samurai sword. I took it out of the scabbard and said how heavy it was and wondered how a Japanese could swing it. All my uncle said was, "if you ever saw a Japanese Imperial Marine you wouldn't have to ask that". End of conversation. My uncle was a Marine Lt. at Guadalcanal.

[NAMVET1968]

....I have some shrapnel in my right leg from NAM.

[Spinningrod]

My father brought back a propaganda poster from the Korean War.

[Jimoh]

I friend of mine sent back a fully automatic AK47 from Nam piece by piece. Don't think he ever reassembled it though lol

[basscat21]

My Grandfather was the head of Medical Library Science at Columbia. The State Dept. sent him to gather German medical books and scientific data during the occupation. At that time Germany was the most advanced medical country. They gave him the rank of Bigetier General, so he could have access to any area of the Occupation. He sent back 2 German helmets, the ones with the spike in top. One has a letter the soldier wrote to his girlfriend in case he died in the lining. As a kid my brother and I would wear them, we ended up bending the spike on one, trying ram each other. They are now at my dad's house on a shelf for display. yep one with the slight bend too. We also have a German company pipe. About 3 foot long with a ceramic bowl, and a top that is a German helmet like the ones above. Pretty cool to look at, and to think they survived my brother and I.

[basscat21]

My Grandfather was the head of Medical Library Science at Columbia. The State Dept. sent him to gather German medical books and scientific data during the occupation. At that time Germany was the most advanced medical country. They gave him the rank of Bigetier General, so he could have access to any area of the Occupation. He sent back 2 German helmets, the ones with the spike in top. One has a letter the soldier wrote to his girlfriend in case he died in the lining. As a kid my brother and I would wear them, we ended up bending the spike on one, trying ram each other. They are now at my dad's house on a shelf for display. yep one with the slight bend too. We also have a German company pipe. About 3 foot long with a ceramic bowl, and a top that is a German helmet like the ones above. Pretty cool to look at, and to think they survived my brother and I.

There is a piece of shrapnel that hit my dad's tent a chu chi. from a mortar attack in the book shelf too.

[acesover]

I have the certificate of thanks that was given to my Grandmother for working in a hand grenade factory in WV.

[Gungle George]

....I have some shrapnel in my right leg from NAM.

Thank you so much for your service!

Cheers,

George

[Buccaneer]

I've got my two kids, both of which returned from multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan complete with bullet holes, shrapnel and surgical scars.

[NAMVET1968]

I've got my two kids, both of which returned from multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan complete with bullet holes, shrapnel and surgical scars.

Thank them for their service ,thank GOD they made it home ! and thank you for being a wonderful parent !!

[Jeff La]

My father sent back many German medals, flag and Mauser rifle. A Japanese carbine with cosmoline still on it, a double barrel shotgun and three swords. We have lots of german money and plenty of stamps. The stamps were given to him by the guy who owned them, he didn't want them destroyed. MY Godmother ran the post office and she told me years later when my Uncle would go pick up the mail and dad had sent a package he would open it at the post office to show everyone what he had sent home.

[Basscatfrank]

I have a full sized Nazi flag, an armband, a 2 volume set of Mein Kampf, and a Hitler Youth knife with "Blut und Ehre" inscribed on the blade. All of these were brought home by my father who was a WWII vet.

[captzapp]

FIL left me a Japanese sumari sword and a Japanese rifle. Plus a none battle flag.

[Dan21XRS]

Nah, my older brothers got all the good stuff. By the time I came along it was all long gone, lost... Dan

[TRCM]

I have Grand-dads gas mask & some canisters for it......use to have a big cartridge from a howitzer type gun, probably 4 or 5 inches in diameter, and I seem to remember holding a bayonet when I was younger,

Only thing I still have is the gas mask.

Not even sure where his purple heart or other medals are....from the way he never talked about it, he may have tossed them.

[jbassman87]

I have a Lugar. Not sure of the whole story behind it, I just know it came from my uncle. Poor guy fought all the way through Africa, Italy, France and Germany and didn't hardly get a scratch. Returned home and was riding in a car with his arm out the window, the driver wrecked and he lost his right arm. Was never really the same after that. I didn't get to know him very well and everybody said he would never tell them how he got the gun.

[Jeff Hahn]

Those of you who have sumari swords. Those can be worth a ton of money, depending on who made them and how old they are. If memory serves, some of those may have been passed down through many generations. If you have one that's super old and made by a known master craftsman...CHA CHING!

[smalljawguy]

Any of you have war souvenirs? I am thinking specifically about WWII, but any would be interesting to discuss.

My Dad was too young to serve in WWII! But friends from his neighobrhood would often send back some things. A friend sent him a Mauser 98 rifle, still in cosmoline. But, he sporterized the stock for hunting and all of the bayonet parts were lost overtime. He also had a German bayonet, a Japanese bayonet, and in later years bought a Mauser 7.56 automatic pistol from an estate. When Dad passed, my brother and I divided this stuff. I got the Mauser 98 and the Japanese bayonet.

I don't but my grandfather served under Patton and somehow brought home a German officer Luger and cavalry saber.