WWII Paramarine Grouping 2nd Parachute Battalion - G/3/27 5th Marine Division

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WWII Paramarine Grouping 2nd Parachute Battalion - G/3/27 5th Marine Division:
$10500.00

WWII USMC Paramarine KIA Grouping2nd Parachute Battalion to 5th Marine DivisionPreviously from Bob Byrd USMC Collection.Wendell Howard SiresParamarinePrivate First ClassG / 3 / 27 Fifth Marine DivisionKilled in Action Iwo Jima, 20 February 1945Wendell Howard Sires was born 28 April 1912 in Manchester, Iowa.He first served in the U.S. Navy from 22 January 1930 to 16 April 1935 (Honorable Discharge). After a short civilian period he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on 8 December 1937 in Seattle, Washington. Pre-war service included the Philippines (April 1938–May 1939) and China (May 1939–August 1940). He became a Paramarine in the 2nd Parachute Battalion and later served with G Company, 3rd Battalion, 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division after the Marine parachute units were disbanded. His combat record includes: - Vella Lavella / New Georgia (8–16 October 1943) - Bougainville (4–15 December 1943) - Consolidation of the Northern Solomons (late 1943–January 1944) - Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands (19–20 February 1945) He was wounded in action on 20 February 1945 (D+1) on Iwo Jima, assaulting Motoyama Airfield Number One by machine gun fire. Sires died of those wounds the same day. He was 32 years old. He was initially buried at the base of Mt. Suribachi. His awards include the Purple Heart (posthumous), American Defense Service Medal with Base clasp, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and World War II Victory Medal. This is a museum-quality, fully documented Paramarine-to-5th Marine Division KIA archive with combat history spanning the Solomons to the first days of Iwo Jima.Paramarine material is inherently scarce; a named, photographed, document-heavy KIA grouping of this depth is rarely encountered.Only ships within the U.S.*Framed display case not included in sale*This listing offers original WWII-era American military items of historical interest only. These are vintage collectibles more than 75 years old, no longer in official use, and are not current government property. Items such as medals or related certificates are offered solely as historical artifacts.
No claim is made that any item was privately purchased versus officially issued. Buyers should conduct their own due diligence. This listing is intended to comply with ’s policies regarding historical and collectible military items.