Scott Gahimer
05-26-2013, 09:34
Today was a memorable day. My dad would have been 88 yrs. old today. We lost him a couple years ago. He was a WWII Marine Corps vet. He turned 18 yrs. years old 70 years ago today.
Here are a couple of other ol' U.S.M.C. vets. Thought I'd shoot a few new photos and show them. They are consecutively serial numbered pistols produced for and shipped to the U.S. Navy in 1939. I owned 714139 several years before buying 714140 a few years ago at a gun show. That was an interesting show. I bought another 1917 Colt M1911 consecutively numbered to one I already owned at the same show.
These two pistols are direct hits in the SRS database. I contacted Charlie Pate in 2005 and had him retrieve the records from the National Archives, provide them and a letter for 714139. Charlie told me at that time "combat troops" typically referred to Marine Corps personnel. The pistols are two of four consecutively serial numbered Colts originally assigned to the SS W.H. Libby.
On 26 May 1943, those four pistols were transferred from the Libby for combat troops in the PTO. I've included photos of SRS hit from their old web site and a photo of the letter Charlie wrote when he was the Historian at SRS.
714139 is much better condition than 714140. They both, however, show some honest wear and use. 714140 may have picked up some use in later years (don't know), but 714139 only displays a little wear from a M1916 holster around the serial number.
I'd been busy all day and just had a chance to post. So I'm a little late for a Memorial Day celebration, but still wanted to share the photos and the story about the guns and my dad. Thanks.
714139
http://i39.tinypic.com/3522ck3.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/p4m7s.jpg
714140
http://i40.tinypic.com/2i594l.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/20b0knb.jpg
The pair together
http://i41.tinypic.com/eb4leb.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/vqirgl.jpg
Another ol' Marine in his prime...70 years ago!
http://i41.tinypic.com/2rc2zcp.jpg
A little paperwork
http://i40.tinypic.com/5k0rx2.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/ilk7kn.jpg
Here are a couple of other ol' U.S.M.C. vets. Thought I'd shoot a few new photos and show them. They are consecutively serial numbered pistols produced for and shipped to the U.S. Navy in 1939. I owned 714139 several years before buying 714140 a few years ago at a gun show. That was an interesting show. I bought another 1917 Colt M1911 consecutively numbered to one I already owned at the same show.
These two pistols are direct hits in the SRS database. I contacted Charlie Pate in 2005 and had him retrieve the records from the National Archives, provide them and a letter for 714139. Charlie told me at that time "combat troops" typically referred to Marine Corps personnel. The pistols are two of four consecutively serial numbered Colts originally assigned to the SS W.H. Libby.
On 26 May 1943, those four pistols were transferred from the Libby for combat troops in the PTO. I've included photos of SRS hit from their old web site and a photo of the letter Charlie wrote when he was the Historian at SRS.
714139 is much better condition than 714140. They both, however, show some honest wear and use. 714140 may have picked up some use in later years (don't know), but 714139 only displays a little wear from a M1916 holster around the serial number.
I'd been busy all day and just had a chance to post. So I'm a little late for a Memorial Day celebration, but still wanted to share the photos and the story about the guns and my dad. Thanks.
714139
http://i39.tinypic.com/3522ck3.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/p4m7s.jpg
714140
http://i40.tinypic.com/2i594l.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/20b0knb.jpg
The pair together
http://i41.tinypic.com/eb4leb.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/vqirgl.jpg
Another ol' Marine in his prime...70 years ago!
http://i41.tinypic.com/2rc2zcp.jpg
A little paperwork
http://i40.tinypic.com/5k0rx2.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/ilk7kn.jpg