This is a World War II herring bone twill fatigue blouse and a set of canvas leggings identified to Corporal Howard L Helton. The blouse is a pattern 1941 HBT in what would today's sizes be a medium. The shirt shows a ton of wear from everyday use, but is still in very good condition. Both sleeve cuffs are slightly frayed and there is a small hole in the back about the size of a pencil. It suffers the same malady that a lot of veterans everyday work uniforms have, stains and spots of paint. There 's no way of knowing whether those drops of paint occurred while Corporal Helton was on occupation duty in Japan after the war, or back at home years after the war. What is certain is that Helton was a member of Easy Company, 8th Marine Regiment, 2 Marine Division. His name and unit designation are stenciled on the inside of the blouse and on each legging. They read HELTON E-8. Also hand stenciled on the left sleeve in faded black is the 2nd Marine Division patch with a set of faded black Corporal's stripes underneath. Also prominently displayed on the breast pocket is the USMC above the Eagle/Globe/Anchor emblem of the Marine Corps. The buttons on the blouse are marked ROGERS PEET Co. The coveted EGA's that came with this small grouping are the Pattern 1937. They were on the leggings when we got it, so I left them there. They leggings do not appear to have been worn. You will find very few pictures of Marines in the pacific wearing them. The blouse definitely has the been there, done that look. The places that the 8th Marine Regiment were during WWII include Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa, where they absolutely "did that". The 8th was one of the hardest fought Marine Infantry Regiments of WWII. Howard Lester Helton was born on 30 April, 1924. He entered the Marine Corps on 17 February, 1943 at the age of 19. He served as a Browning Automatic Rifleman and fought on Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa. Corporal Helton left the Marine Corps on 11 January, 1946 and spent the rest of his life in Mansfield, Ohio. Howard Helton, one of the greatest generation, answered the final muster on 12 February, 2011 at the age of 86. This will make a nice addition to your WWII collection, and keep the memory of an old Devil Dog alive.

Item # AA1113

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