January 2014 Auction Ends Thursday, January 30th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/30/2014
'Victory mail'' sent by Iwo Jima hero Rene Gagnon the day after his raising of the flag on Iwo Jima was immortalized on film, accompanied by an autograph letter signed. Gagnon was among the six men pictured in Joe Rosenthal's famous image, captured on 23 February 1945. V-mail was received by Gagnon's sweetheart and future wife Pauline Harnois. Dated 24 February 1945, V-mail reads, (uncorrected for minor errors) in full, ''Dearest Darling, Well here's a line to let you know I'm allright, and hope to hear the same from you. Now I can tell you why I didn't write; we were in action on Iwo Jima, you've probably read about it in the papers, as it was a pretty tough battle; Outside of living muddy, dirty, and need a shave pretty bad as we've been here quite a while. I'm allright, so I guess you'll forgive me for not writing. I'll be glad to get mail from you as its been quite a while since I last heard from you. I got your pictures with the evening gown aboard ship, so I put them in my helmet, and carried them with me, I still got them and there not banged up to much. You still look beautiful darling. Love as Ever, Rene / P.S. Tell your dad I'll send him a Jap rifle for a souvenir. / R.A. Gagnon''. V-mail was a popular method of wartime correspondence, as it dramatically streamlined the process of shipping letters; soldiers' handwritten letters were photographed to microfilm and the film itself was sent to a post near the destination where the images of the letters were printed at roughly a quarter of their original size. This is one such printout, the actual piece received by Pauline Harnois, with envelope. Single-page V-mail measures 4.25'' x 5.25''. Toning and creasing, with a small tear to the bottom edge at left, else near fine. Lot also includes an autograph letter signed by Gagnon as a Private First Class in the U.S. Marine Corps. One year after the flag-raising on Iwo Jima, he writes to his new wife Pauline Harnois, from Tsingtao, China, as a member of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 29th Marines, 6th Marine Division. Letter dated 20 February 1946, uncorrected for minor errors, reads in part: ''Dearest Darling Wife...three weeks ago they told me to get ready to leave for Japan right away and I didn't even have time to write and let you know. And all the time I was aboard ship I couldn't mail any letters...I was glad to hear that your leaving for the West Coast, I promise you you wont have to wait to long for me there...by the 30 of May I'll be a civilian again. Isn't that something baby. I'll be able to take off this uniform at last...Now darling I wrote and told you Mom wasn't mad anymore and I enclosed her letter so you could see for yourself, so please when you get to Calif write to her give her your address and tell her to ship my blues to you by air express right away because we want to have a wedding picture taken before I get this uniform off. I know it will be a year late, but I still want one taken so we can keep it to remember, I didn't get married in blues but at least our wedding picture will be. I hope you still want it. And darling when you do get them have them cleaned & pressed and theres a lot of sewing I want you to do on them. Theres a fifth division patch on the shoulder well leave that on, but take off the Pfc...and sew on Corporals instead, you see when I leave China that is before I get my discharge & make Corporal, and sew...one...on each sleeve, go to the Army & Navy store in L.A...they'll sell you the [items]...also get the red stripes to sew down the side of my blue pants, I can wear them now; the hashmark is just a stripe that goes up above the cuff a little, you get one for every three years service. Its the only one I'm gonna wear too, I don't imagine I'll ever wear any more the rest of my life. It takes too long to get one of them. And while your down the store see the boss you know Ben, & have him fix me up a nice set of ribbons with cellophane on them, Heres a list of all the ones I'm entitle to wear just take this list to him & he'll fix it up allright. 1) Asiatic Pacific Bar, with one star / 2) Presidential Citation, with one star / 3) American Theater Bar / 4) China Occupation Bar / 5) Victory Medal / 6) Marine Corps Good Conduct Bar / I'm sure he'll fix you up allright and you don't have to do it if you haven't got time, but I'd just like to have it all ready when I get back so I can wear it and go out to celebrate with you one or two nights and get those pictures taken, and then I can take off this uniform for good and put on civilian clothes...You know darling I'm glad we didn't get any baby before I came back because we'd really be in a rut now. All these other girls in the mill are all stuck with babies and they have to work and they can't get ahead, so they can never leave Manchester; You know darling maybe their husbands are back already but I think were a little better off then they are. I see your doing a lot of sewing lately I'm glad to hear that, I see you've got some new pajamas the ones you say tie up in a knot. You'd better make some that tie in a beau for the first few nights I get back...Love as Ever / Rene xxxxxxxxxx...'' 5pp. on 5 sheets of delicate stationery, measures 8'' x 10.5''. With original envelope made out in ink in Gagnon's hand with his name and return address, addressed to ''Mrs. R.A. Gagnon''. Creasing and a pair of holes punched to the top margins, else fine. Obtained directly from Rene Gagnon's estate.
WWII Hero Rene Gagnon V-Mail Sent the Day After ''Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima'' -- With an Autograph Letter Signed 1 Year Later -- ''...I can take off this uniform for good...''
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