October 2014 Auction Ends Thursday, October 30th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/30/2014
WWII Iwo Jima hero Rene Gagnon autograph letter signed as a Private First Class in the U.S. Marine Corps. Gagnon was one of the six WWII soldiers elevated to icon status after appearing in the famous photograph ''Raising The Flag on Iwo Jima.'' Datelined 25 June 1943 from training camp on Parris Island, South Carolina, letter is addressed to his love back home, Pauline Harnois, reading in part: ''Darling Kiddo: This is really the first time I've had to write to you...They've been keeping us going from 6 in the morning till 9 at night, well I couldn't actually call it all work but I didn't have time to write...God grant me one wish to be able to see you once more, and hold you tight. Say by the way was there a lot of 'dog faces' that what we call soldiers at the Pine Island Saturday?...In the Reserves it is very seldom when we get to be a P.F.C. in boot camp, but you never can tell. I might be yet...They can ship us any time they want to, out of 64 men in each platoon they sometimes ship 2 or three out without a furlough...I know that one week isn't much to look forward to, but when I might be gone for a year before coming back after, I guess that one week will mean an awful lot to us...'' Signed simply ''Rene''. Letter runs 6pp. on three sheets, measuring 7'' x 10.5''. Expected toning and two horizontal folds from mailing. Very good overall.
Iwo Jima Hero Rene Gagnon Autograph Letter Signed -- ''...one week isn't much to look forward to, but when I might be gone for a year...I guess that one week will mean an awful lot to us...''
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