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Japanese helmet of Okinawa POW w/ camo & provenance


Bob Hudson
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You may have seen this after it was posted in the USMF Spoils of War section 5 years ago.

 

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This was one of many donations received by an ad hoc West Coast Marine Corps military police collection that has been displayed at Camp Pendleton and, last I heard, MCAS Miramar. In the move somethings were deaccessioned and I acquired this until they said a reputable person come forward and let them know the collection's founder had given him first dibs if it went on the market. That was not fun,

 

But I did get to take it home and photograph it. It is strongly believed that the vegetation is original to the helmet. The tag says it was taken from a Japanese POW on Okinawa by a member of the 1st Military Police Battalion, who donated it to the collection, so for those 24 hours I was the only the third person to "own it."

 

As I posted on the USMF, I was told the vegetation is original to the helmet. Since this was acquired by an officer, he might have had the space to tuck it away and ship it back to the US so everything stayed intact. I did look around online and found one drawing showing the vegetation pretty much all stuck in the front like this helmet.

 

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A forum member who is a horticulturalist, I believe, ID'ed the camo plant as being unique to the Okinawa regions:

 

“Neat relic, the plant branches are from the Cycad Revoluta v. aurea … the v. aurea is unique to the Asian islands chain" (which includes Okinawa).

 

 

The Marine who first acquired it:

 

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Very cool Bob! You having this in your possession for that day reminds me of a buddy I had back in D.C. whose Dad was a big shot at the Smithsonian. His Dad would bring home some pretty iconic stuff. Lucky.. : )

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Wow! That helmet is everything you'd want in a Pacific war collectible from condition to provenance.

 

Sorry for the loss Bob. Did you at least get first dibs if the brigand decides to sell or passes away?

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