On eBay Now...WWII USMC China Marine POW Raymond Lease Lot 1941 FDR Doc- Campaign Hat Tientsin For Sale
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WWII USMC China Marine POW Raymond Lease Lot 1941 FDR Doc- Campaign Hat Tientsin:
$1200.00
USMC M1912 Campaign Hat: Original felt hat with natively mounted Model 1937 Enlisted EG&A emblem (dark bronze patina). Leather sweatband is intact and retains the rare original paper Size 7 ¼ label. The Tragic Story of PFC Raymond Elmo Lease (USMC)Identified Enlisted Web Belt: Original khaki cotton web belt, clearly stenciled on the interior with his name: "R. E. LEASE
Six (6) Service Hat Covers: Stack of original uniform cap covers, many individually named/stenciled to Lease
USMC Uniform Neckties: Group of original issue neckties, multiple pieces bearing his sharp "R. E. LEASE" name stencil.
FDR Presidential Accolade Document: Period memorial document issued to his family ("...Who died in the service of his country at Japanese Prisoner of War Camp, 31 December 1944"). Shows heavy wear, tearing, and water staining as pictured.
USMC Insignia & Hardware: Loose original uniform pieces, including a Model 1937 dress cap/collar EG&A device and original brass/blackened bronze buttons with honest patina.
Personal Civilian Fedora: His green felt civilian hat, preserved alongside his military effects for over 80 years.
Digital Research Portfolio (Sent Electronically)NARA Muster Rolls: Documenting his November 1939 enlistment, training, and deployment to China.Japanese POW Roster Logs: Official capture records matching his Marine Corps serial number (282073).Service & Sickness Records: Deep-dive files tracing his month-long illness upon arrival in China, his capture at Tientsin, and his fate in captivity.
Private First Class Raymond Elmo Lease's journey is one of the most poignant and tragic personal chapters of the early Pacific War. A native of Colorado, Lease enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in November 1939. Following his rigorous boot camp training, he was assigned to the elite Marine detachment deployed overseas to the American Embassy Guard in Tientsin, China—becoming part of the legendary and tightly knit "North China Marines."
His deployment took a difficult turn immediately upon arrival. Historical documentation reveals that PFC Lease fell severely ill almost as soon as he reached China. He spent a grueling month confined to a military hospital bed, battling sickness right up until the fateful morning of December 8, 1941 (local time).
Still weakened from his month-long illness, Lease woke to a nightmare. Hours after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, overwhelming Japanese forces surrounded the small, isolated American garrison in Tientsin. Outnumbered, cut off from supply lines, and facing impossible odds, the North China Marines were forced to surrender.
PFC Lease survived the initial capitulation, only to be forced into the brutal Japanese Prisoner of War (POW) camp system. Over the next three years, he endured starvation, forced labor, and severe deprivation alongside his fellow Marines. Tragically, he never made it home to see liberation. Months before the war reached its conclusion, PFC Raymond Elmo Lease succumbed to the harsh conditions of captivity and passed away on December 31, 1944.
This archive stands as a profound, unbroken visual testament to his sacrifice, preserving his personal effects from his enlistment to the final memorial tribute sent to his grieving family. Related Items:
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