If you have a Samurai Sword "A Katana" is the Long Sword and "The Wakizashe" is the Short Sword and if You have One Of These and it is Sighed By The Maker it is Worth Big Money !!
:teeth_smile:
I saw one a few years back that was Sighed by the Maker and was sold for Over $25,000 and taken back to Japan !!!
Chilibill
I beleive mine is the Katana. As far as signed by the maker, I don't believe that it is. This will be something that I will have to do more research on.
Hi Todd, that's great to hea. Also, Japanese Militaria has been skyrocketing up in prices lately. That Samurai sword that just 2 years ago might have sold for only $100.00 but now--they are easily reaching $1,000.00 or more-d epending on what dealers you might visiting their sites on-who have prices to compare.
I guess for insurance reasons I should have it appraised. Antiques Roadshow here I come!!!!
Sidenote: It is in my gun cabinet and I have the humidity controlled in the cabinet and a silicon impregnanted gun sock that it is inside of.
Hi Todd, quite welcome. Also, glad you are actively preserving his momories and such-most people out there-don't and often either sell, give or throw awa this valuable stuff. Case-in-point-several years ago when I was touring Germany-I met an Antiques and Militaria dealer in Lubeck-who was one of those who heard that Top-Uboat Ace-and recipient of the Knights Cross, Oak leaves, Swords and Diamonds (one of only 27 to get the Diamonds) Wolfgang Luth's family just threw away all of his stuff-uniforms, awards-certificates photos and such-into the nearby City garbage dump. Well-on hearing that-this guy as well as dozens of others-went there immediately to see if they could find any of Luths stuff-they did-thankfully) and as far as is known-everything thrown away by the Luth Family-was rescued and some of it can now be viewed in various museums. I had the priviledge to actually get to hold a pair of his Oak Leaves and Swords-which were then-secretly in storage at the Uboat Archi i Altenbruch-near Cuxhaven. Horst Bredow-that Museums Owner/Curator-was presented with these by the Luth family after the citizens of Lubeck had returned all of that valuable property. For prosperity sake-one of Luths pairs of oaks and swords-was given to Horst and his museum. At that time-this cased set would have easily sold on the market for about $150,000. On todays market-it would easily go for 1/2 a million dollars.
You don't have to worry about me selling his stuff. It probably isn't worth a whole lot and I am not even thinking about selling it as its more valuable to our families history. I do know that the Busthmaster patch is rare and vey hard to find. I found 2 on the internet for sale for $25 on one site and $50 on another. I can find no place that even makes reproductions so that one I will defintely be keeping. I do have the japanese sword in my possesion that he brought back from the Pacific theater and plan on hanging onto the for a very long time.
Viper, my Dad rarely talked about his war experiences. I was in my twenties when he finally talked about his time there. I asked him if he was at Inchon since he never talked about it, but he said no. My friends Father was there and he hated MacArthur until he died.
You may think this odd, but I still have the navy blanket they but on my Dad when he was bought home on the hospital ship. My Wife saw it when we got married and said 'is that blood stains'?
I hear ya, my dad said that he rarely talked about his WW2 experiences. It has been exciting to research all the information even if at times it can be quite frustrating not getting a "complete" picture.
And most Army guys from that era don't have alot of good things to say about MacArthur. I read a book called "The Ghost Mountain Boys", which was about the fighting on New Guinea during WW2 and that didn't put MacArthur in a very good light either.
Thanks Carl. My wife and I just finished putting my grandfather's scrapbook in a better book. This should help preserve it for the future. We are giving it to my dad for fathers day. Also, we found out dome more information about my grandfather, it looks like he was a Bronze star recipient as well and we are awaiting confirmation from the Veterans Admin office on that. It still amazes me that he was involved with all this during his war time duty and I never knew a thing about it.
Hi Todd, it's definately a worth see. I know that Barnes and Nobles usually keeps them in stock-I don't know if Borders or others have them or not? but I don't remember it being particularly expensive-much unlike the reference books I like getting. The last one I got was for over $130--which I think included postage from Europe.
I couldn't get the scans to expand to be able to read them-but it's not your fault-im having to resort to using my Brothers laptop for awhile since we don't have internet service at home--still-and he has some sort of program that blocks pop-ups and expanding pictures and such. It'll probably next week sometime before I can got onto another computer ;-))
OK, I will see what I can do to get the pictures bigger.
Carl, not a problem. I will check out his book when I have a chance.
Did you have a chance to read the scan of the 2 pages from the book I am reading now from my previous post?
I am still reading my book, Bushmasters: America's Jungle Warriors of WW2. The reason I am telling you this is I want to share a short excerpt from the book that I know most here will find intersting. I used my new scanner/printer so we shall see how it looks. It is a scan of 2 pages. Read the first page then the second, obviously. I just didn't want to have someone read the 2nd page and wreck the surprise. Here it is:
bushb1.jpg
bush1b.jpg
You may have to save the picture and zoom in using a picture utility program if you cannot read it due to the small print.
H Todd, quite welcome and glad to know about the existance of this unit. Im going to be trying to research them and see what I cna find to post over at ww2f wartradersguild and warrelics.com websites. Those guys will want to know about The Bushmasters.
If anyone has any information that they share let me kow Carl. I am interested in any stories that someone might have concerning the Bushmaster's 158th RCT. Thanks.
I cannot but help comparing the caliber of Americans we used to have and those we have now. And as far as I'm concerned, large numbers of our contemporaries don't hold up too well in the comparison.
I cannot fault the job our youngsters have done in Iraq and Afghanistan. I personally think they've looked as good as our boys did in earlier conflicts but what's sad is that there are so few of 'em.
The caliber and also I believe Americans have been getting more and more forgetful of what made this country great. The blood, sweat and tears it took to mold this country into what it is has been forgotten.
Thanks Carl. It has been fun and enlightening getting to know the history of this unit and my grandpa's time in WW2. There is another book about the Bushmasters that I plan on geting once I am done with the one I mentioned above. It is by Harold Braun and it is called Braun's Battlin' Bastards: The Bushmasters of Company B 1st Batallion, 158th R.C.T. I wish I caould show you guys all that I have from his scrapbook that he made. Very intersting photos and humbling to see what those guys went through.
That's interesting info, Todd. I've read a lot of military history and this is the first time I've ever heard of that unit. I'll have to do some research - will also try to get hold of the book you're reading.
My grandpa was a heavy machine gunner(.30 cal) in the 6th army, 158th RCT, 43rd Div, Company M(at one time he was with company L). He received a purple heart(with a cluster, was wounded 2 times), CIB(combat infantry badge) Philipphine Liberation medal(with a bronze arrow), plus a couple more ribbons for WW2 victory, good conduct, ect... I don't have his seperatino papers in front of me. I do have the ribbons and purple heart as well.
He fought in New Guinea, Bismark Archipelago, Luzon/Phillipines and was part of the occupation forces in Japan. I have his scrapbook with various photos, boot camp and related photos and info. He trained at Fort Ord and Camp Roberts before being assigned to the 158th Bushmasters RCT. I also have a japanese sword that he took off a dead japanese.
I was always very close to him before I went into the Navy in 1984, he died Dec. 14th, 1986. I never knew any of his story though and I am just now getting the full picture of what he did in WW2. I wish I could have talked to him about it, he might not have talked about it as most vets don't, but it would have been nice to try. From an article that is in the scrapbook from "Yank" magazine he had a paragraph circled and I can see why he decided to not talk about his time in WW2. I am going to try and post the circled article here:
Yank article.jpg
Here is there shoulder patch that they wore as well:
158th patch.jpg
Here are a couple website's that have some info on the 158th RCT :
http://www.bushmasters158.com/
http://bushmaster.vibobgen.com/
I am currently reading Bushmasters: America's Jungle Warriors of World War II by Anthony Arthur. We have just recently come across a old scrapbook that my grandfather made up and found out he was in the 158th Bushmaster RCT during WW2. He never talked about it while he was alive so I have been doing some research. For interesting story, these guys were in the middle of the south pacific's worse fighting.
And on a side note Bill, they started out as a Arizona National Guard unit.
