I have tried this before with no luck but I'm giving it another shot. I have exhausted all of my search fu. I am not sure of this Marines first name, I would think "Bud" was his nickname. I bought this Arisaka Type 99 at an auction in Michigan. Maybe someone that is current Military has acess to archived records or something. I bought this rifle a few years ago and I'm trying to find out who SGT. Bud Davis was so the history of this rifle is not lost forever. If I can find out who he was I may be able to contact his family and find out some of his Military history. This rifles appears untouched since it was taken, the bore is like a mirror, the bolt face looks new, the screws are still staked and the numbers all match. It appears to have a bullet strike on the forearm. I don't think the person that was carrying it had a chance to shoot it much. Thanks

Contact these people. If he was on Iwo they will know.

Thank you Sir.

That is awesome. Best of luck in your search. Please update this thread if you find him!

Third link on google.com
.....


Might be him, might not be.....



LINK




       






ETA: I'm looking and it doesn't say Iwo Jima, but the link in google did.

Interestingly, it lists him as a Michigander as well.

However, it says that he was in flight school class 44G, which would have had him in flight training in 1944. That wouldn't seem to jive with him having been an NCO in 1945.

Man that is incredible. Please update the crap out of this thread, sounds like a hell of a story.

The dice may be a clue. 61 ?

Try this one too:http://www.fightingfourth.com/

http://bluejacket.com/usmc/insignia/fm/1bn6mar_insig.jpg

1st Battalion 6th Marines  maybe????

I think that I found a relevant obituary.

http://obituaries.onlinesentinel.com/obituaries/mainetoday-morningsentinel/obituary.aspx?n=vernon-elmer-davis-bud&pid=141899733&fhid=6231

Excerpted in part:

1/6 wasn't on Iwo they were and are 2nd MARDIV. They were on Saipan/ Tinian ramping up to be the diversion force for Okinawa in that time frame.  

It seems that "Bud" was a pretty comon nickname back then, I wish I had his first name. I've checked out some of the leads you fellas have given me and I haven't hit a bingo yet, but I will keep trying. I think the dice mean lucky seven, and for him to have made it out of there alive means that Lady Luck was definitly with him, I don't know how any of those men made it back. Thanks again.

Might try also.

 

I asked my Grandpa last time you posted this.  Forgot to get back to you.  He didn't know him or doesn't remember him.  He did send me this, though.  A list of all the guys in his unit that landed on Iwo with him.  Most didn't make it off.

Every time I see something like this it almost makes me cry.