I've spent most of the last 14 years on the Island of Saipan, the site of a bloody and pitched battle between the US and the Empire of Japan. Every free second I had I spent out in those battlefields - metal detector in hand - checking out every cave, cliff and fighting position - and there were many. What you see that follows is all that made it thru Customs in Japan and Homeland Security in the US... It's a fraction of what I attempted to bring back and even that was a fraction of what I found. Frankly, I'm lucky I'm not writing this from some jail in Japan because they were PISSED - and I even left the knee mortar back on-island lol. This is being written State-Side, sadly... I was called back for a family emergency and had to resign my job.
This is my second post. My first being March of 2014
I'll try to fit everything into this post... If not, I'll continue with another.
The first pic is of a Japanese Type 30 bayonette and the famous Marine Ka-Bar... Both badly rusted. The Type 30 was found in Death Valley, center island. The debris you see in the barrel receiver is a vine that grew through it... I'll leave it as it looks pretty neat. the Ka-bar was found north, in Marpi. It was found pointing up-hill and surrounded by Japanese fighting positions. It's clear what happened. Death Valley is the location where the actor Lee Marvin was hit ending his Marine career.
The pic of the medicine bottles shows containers for both injectables and pills. One of the bottles had pills still in it. The injectables bottle with the cap had a powder in the bottom of it. These were found in various locations but primarily in Paradise Valley near the village of San Roque... That was ALWAYS a great spot for prospecting.
The Bolt is from an Arisaka Type 99, probably. It's been stripped of all internal parts which is how the Marines disabled them. Push in and turn the back of the thing and the parts and springs just tumble out. It's a rare find and one of favorites.
The blueish glass bottle is one of two things.. Either a Saki bottle or Soy Sauce bottle. Both were emptied during the US preliminary bombardment and filled with drinking water. This is a rare one. It's intact. The Marines made it a point to destroy EVERYTHING that could be used by Japanese caught behind the lines. I can't tell you how many shards of this type of bottle I found over the years... So this is a rarity.
The case with the coins and other little goodies in it were found at the Japanese last command post in Paradise Valley towards the norther tip of Saipan. You'll notice two of the coins are fused together. This was, I suspect, from a Marine satchel charge used to destroy all the money and other things needed to run an economy found in that command post. It was here that Saito, the Island Commander and Nagumo, Commander of the Pearl Harbor attack fleet, committed ritual suicide. It's said that Nagumo only lightly cut himself with his sword and asked his Aid du Camp to put a bullet behind his ear - which was promptly delivered.
All I can say is I miss this place -E V E R Y D A Y-....
I can't begin to tell you the things that were lost. Awful....
Anyway.. there ya have it....
This is my second post. My first being March of 2014
I'll try to fit everything into this post... If not, I'll continue with another.
The first pic is of a Japanese Type 30 bayonette and the famous Marine Ka-Bar... Both badly rusted. The Type 30 was found in Death Valley, center island. The debris you see in the barrel receiver is a vine that grew through it... I'll leave it as it looks pretty neat. the Ka-bar was found north, in Marpi. It was found pointing up-hill and surrounded by Japanese fighting positions. It's clear what happened. Death Valley is the location where the actor Lee Marvin was hit ending his Marine career.
The pic of the medicine bottles shows containers for both injectables and pills. One of the bottles had pills still in it. The injectables bottle with the cap had a powder in the bottom of it. These were found in various locations but primarily in Paradise Valley near the village of San Roque... That was ALWAYS a great spot for prospecting.
The Bolt is from an Arisaka Type 99, probably. It's been stripped of all internal parts which is how the Marines disabled them. Push in and turn the back of the thing and the parts and springs just tumble out. It's a rare find and one of favorites.
The blueish glass bottle is one of two things.. Either a Saki bottle or Soy Sauce bottle. Both were emptied during the US preliminary bombardment and filled with drinking water. This is a rare one. It's intact. The Marines made it a point to destroy EVERYTHING that could be used by Japanese caught behind the lines. I can't tell you how many shards of this type of bottle I found over the years... So this is a rarity.
The case with the coins and other little goodies in it were found at the Japanese last command post in Paradise Valley towards the norther tip of Saipan. You'll notice two of the coins are fused together. This was, I suspect, from a Marine satchel charge used to destroy all the money and other things needed to run an economy found in that command post. It was here that Saito, the Island Commander and Nagumo, Commander of the Pearl Harbor attack fleet, committed ritual suicide. It's said that Nagumo only lightly cut himself with his sword and asked his Aid du Camp to put a bullet behind his ear - which was promptly delivered.
All I can say is I miss this place -E V E R Y D A Y-....
I can't begin to tell you the things that were lost. Awful....
Anyway.. there ya have it....