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Guam World War II Artifacts

I had an opportunity (the first of many upcoming) to head to Guam for business. I was there for several weeks. There are some fossil shells to be had in the Eocene limestone that comprises half the island, but they were non-descript, and I didn't find any of the rare Eocene crabs at the one locale I tracked down. HOWEVER, as Guam was the site of a vicious World War II battle between the Americans & the Japanese, I did some beach combing and found a lot of nifty WWII artifacts! I found: > 11 whole or partial .50 caliber machine gun shells (one with bullet!), > 20 M1 (?) rifle shells (one with bullet!), > 2 other bullets, gauge unsure, > an Indian head nickel, circal 194something (too eroded to read), > 1940s Pepsi bottle > 1940s Nehi soda bottle > a copper Japanese 75mm brass shell (large) > misc. copper shrapnel from a destroyed pillbox > several brass buckles and one pull tab > 12 brass buttons (one w/USMC!), and the big stuff: > US 155mm artillery shell (the big boy!) > rusted fragment from a US 5" naval projectile (battleship, cruiser or destroyer) > rusted 1,000 lb bomb fragment > 500lb bomb storage plug (used in place of a fuse during shipment of the bomb) and the separate photo is a LIVE Japanese Type 88 80mm artillery fuse

1 available
Location Guam, USA

ID3750
Memberhemipristis
Date Added7/11/2010

.50 cal machine gun shells (US)
M1 (?) rifle shells
Brass Japanese 75mm artillery shell
2 small bullets (caliber unknown) and Indian Head nickel
misc. brass buttons
USMC button
siting screw?
from left: 5" naval projectile fragment (US), 500 lb bomb storage plug (US), 155mm artillery shell (US), 1,000lb bomb fragment (US)
Live Japanese Type 88 artillery fuse
  

Links
WWII Japanese Officer Swords found in GUam
WWII Japanese Officer Swords found in GUam
Return to Guam, Spring 2012
Return to Guam, Spring 2012
First trip to Guam
First trip to Guam
  

Comments
- 7/11/2010
Reviewer : Daryl from Maryland United States
Total Rating : 10
Wow. That sure is some really neat stuff you found. Were you able to bring it back with you - on an airplane? Content Quality : 10 of 10

Drool Quotient : 10 of 10

Picture Quality : 10 of 10
VOTE! Agree  Disagree 

gettin' 'em back to the island - 7/11/2010
Reviewer : hemipristis from
Total Rating : No Rating
Thanks Darryl! I didn't trust the TSA, which has a history of grabbing things they want even if they don't look problematic (I had a friend whose mineral & pet wood finds were seized under the guise of "looking suspicious"), so I shipped them via US Post Office. I should also note that I didn't keep the live fuse. I couldn't. I was working with some UXO guys who disposed of that one for me.
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