October 2014 Auction Ends Thursday, October 30th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/30/2014
Rene Gagnon WWII autograph letter signed three times as a Private First Class in the U.S. Marine Corps, accompanied by a V-mail he sent to his sweetheart. Gagnon was one of the six soldiers pictured in ''Raising The Flag on Iwo Jima'', the iconic image of the turning point of the war and one of the most famous photographs of all time. From an undisclosed location in the ''Central Pacific'', he writes to his future wife Pauline Harnois on 12 October 1944: ''...You got mad because I didn't answer and tell you the cookies were swell...Rene A. Gagnon...get one thing straight, I'm not on any picnic here myself...These Pacific Island are not what you think they are, full of dancing hula girls and the rest of that tropical romance bunk. There just plain hot as heck in the daytime and at night it almost always rains...You know I really started to write you a mushy love letter, but then I got so mad at the thought that nobody cares about you anymore after you've left the states, that it sorta turned out to be sorta sarcastic...a guy gets tired of writing love letters and not getting any answer...Love as ever, Rene / Rene A. Gagnon''. Accompanied by the censor-stamped mailing envelope made out in Gagnon's hand in ink, including his name and return address. Letter runs 2pp. in ink on 2 sheets of plain stationery, measuring 7'' x 10.25''. V-Mail (Victory Mail) letter is dated 5 October 1944 from ''Marine Division F.M.F. / San Francisco'' and is also addressed to Pauline Harnois. In part: ''Dearest Darling: I'm sorry I didn't answer you and tell you I liked the cookies you sent...You know I haven't had a letter from you in about a month and a half...There is nothing more to say, except I wish I was with you right now. You must have gone back to work by now. Please write and tell me about it like you used to do...'' V-mail measures 4.25'' x 5'' and is affixed along bottom to original ''War & Navy Departments'' envelope with a ''Passed by Naval Censor'' stamp. Both letters are in very good condition.
Rene Gagnon V-Mail & Autograph Letter Signed Three Times -- ''...get one thing straight I'm not on any picnic...These Pacific Island are not what you think...full of dancing hula girls...''
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