Please share your story of The Things They Carried. Tim O'Brien's 1990 short story with that title, set in Vietnam, provided a fascinating look at the odds and ends soldiers take into battle. Our Portfolio in the Winter 2012 issue of MHQ riffs on that theme with a series of photographs. But there are millions of artifacts and photos out there related to what soldiers take to war, every one of them part of a broader tale. If you have such items, and are willing to share photographs of them with us, please submit them here, along with a short description of the item and the soldier who owned it. We'd welcome photos of that soldier, with or without the artifact, as well. The first submissions are from MHQ editor William W. Horne, who described his relative's artifacts in Letter From MHQ.
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Japanese patriotic flag
Belonged to: James Lester Mills, Quartermaster Third Class(T) V6, US Navy Reserve From: Alexandria, Virginia Served with: served aboard the LST 918, August 1942 to January 1946. This ship participated in three invasions, Leyte and Manila in the Philippine Islands, and at Okinawa. It was awarded 3 Battle Stars for these battles. Carried through: Mills picked up the Japanese Flag somewhere in the South Pacific. Men in the photo are the Quartermaster Bunch – from left to right - L.B. McCormick QM 2/C, James Lester Mills QM 3/C, R. E. Haas QM 3/C and J. Lyons QM 2/C, 5th man unidentified. Submitted by Karen Mills Bailey
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Mike Company 3rd Bn 4th Marines
Belonged to: Lance Corporal Richard Brian Murphy From: Norwood, MA Served with: Murphy served for six months in Vietnam beginning Dec 14, 1967 until he was Killed in Action on June 15, 1968. Photo of Flag as Displayed on May 1, 1968. Carried through: Mills picked up the Japanese Flag somewhere in the South Pacific. Men in the photo are the Quartermaster Bunch – from left to right - L.B. McCormick QM 2/C, James Lester Mills QM 3/C, R. E. Haas QM 3/C and J. Lyons QM 2/C, 5th man unidentified. Submitted by Brian P. Murphy
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Signed Flag and Marines
Belonged to: Lance Corporal Richard Brian Murphy From: Norwood, MA Served with: Six months in Vietnam Dec. 14, 1967 until he was Killed in Action on June 15, 1968. Most of the Marines in this photo signed the flag after my brother was KIA or were photographed with the flag earlier. This photo was taken in 2005 in San Antonio. The flag as been brought to three successive reunions since. Carried through: Six months in Vietnam Submitted by Brian P. Murphy
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Lance Corporal Richard Brian Murphy
From: Norwood, MA Served with: Six months in Vietnam Dec. 14, 1967 until he was Killed in Action on June 15, 1968. Submitted by Brian P. Murphy
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Signed Flag
Belonged to: Lance Corporal Richard Brian Murphy From: Norwood, MA Served with: Six months in Vietnam Dec. 14, 1967 until he was Killed in Action on June 15, 1968. Carried through: Six months in Vietnam Dec. 14, 1967 until he was Killed in Action on June 15, 1968. Submitted by Brian P. Murphy
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Lance Corporal Richard Brian Murphy
From: Norwood, MA Served with: Carried a small American Flag during his six months in Vietnam Dec. 14, 1967 until he was Killed in Action on June 15, 1968. He would often display the flag in photos taken on special occasions. After he was killed, 20 Marines and one Navy Corpsman signed the flag in tribute. It was returned to our family. Researching the names on the flag (starting ten years ago) has led to several reunions. Submitted by Brian P. Murphy
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Leather Flying Helmet
From: New Jersey Served with: air combat in WWII and Korea on carrier-based Vought F4U Corsairs, nicknamed the “Bent-Wing Birds Submitted by Nan Siegel, Hamilton, Virginia
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Corp. William H. Frazier
From: Rossie, New York Served with: the 142nd Regiment of the New York Infancy, 1862-1865, ages 15-18. He saw action in Petersburg, Cold Harbor, and a dozen other Civil War battles Submitted by Bill Horne, Leesburg, Virginia (great-great-grandson)
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shaving tin
Belonged to: Corp. William H. Frazier From: Rossie, New York Served with: the 142nd Regiment of the New York Infancy, 1862-1865, ages 15-18 Carried through: Petersburg, Cold Harbor, and a dozen other Civil War battles Submitted by Bill Horne, Leesburg, Virginia
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folding hand mirror (back)
Belonged to: Corp. William H. Frazier From: Rossie, New York Served with: the 142nd Regiment of the New York Infancy, 1862-1865, ages 15-18 Carried through: Petersburg, Cold Harbor, and a dozen other Civil War battles Submitted by Bill Horne, Leesburg, Virginia
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folding hand mirror (front)
Belonged to: Corp. William H. Frazier From: Rossie, New York Served with: the 142nd Regiment of the New York Infancy, 1862-1865, ages 15-18 Carried through: Petersburg, Cold Harbor, and a dozen other Civil War battles Submitted by Bill Horne, Leesburg, Virginia
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I enjoyed the book years ago and am glad to see your feature here in MHQ. Also, thanks for including the picture of my brother Dick Murphy and his flag. The other Marine in the photo is Gilberto Tapia of Texas. He was Dick's friend then and my friend now. My Dad, a WWII Marine and my brother Dick watched John Wayne in "The Sands of Iwo Jima" countless times. I expect Dick was inspired by the character in the movie that carried a flag with him, intending to raise it in victory, only to see the (second) flag raising take place. In this photo Dick and Tapia are displaying the flag after a battle in which the Third Battalion/Fourth Marines (they were in Mike Co.) took a hill from the NVA. Thank you again.
Brian Murphy bmurphy@norwoodma.gov