Rene Gagnon WWII autograph letter signed as a Private First Class in the U.S. Marine Corps, with the original cover also signed by Gagnon. Gagnon was one of six soldiers pictured in ''Raising The Flag on Iwo Jima'', the iconic image of the turning point of the war and one of the most famous photographs of all time. Here, he writes to his hometown sweetheart Pauline Harnois in a letter dated 23 February 1944. From his military training at the Naval Prison Camp in Charleston, South Carolina, Gagnon writes (uncorrected for minor errors), in part, ''...Right now I am on watch at the Admirals Quarters...in the middle of a little forest like, right beside the house there's a little sentry box, that's where I am right now. There's about six or seven roads leading up to the house, I can't start to explain how wonderful it looks, with trees all over and along the sides of the road...the sky is a beautiful bright blue almost the color of this paper, with just a few white clouds...When you look outside on a day like this you can't possibly imagine there's a war going on, it just doesn't seem logical, why do people want to fight when there's such nice places as this to live in peace in. Then I heard the sound of an airplane that sorta broke my day dreaming up. I look up half concious of what was going on outside expecting to see a transport plane like the one that use to go by back home, but it was not a transport, it was a bomber, then I realize that somewhere people are fighting only 2,000 miles across the ocean, there are no more swell little forests like this; all there is left over there are ruin of buildings, bridges, and roads. And as it is now lots of husbands and boyfriends are not coming back. I keep telling myself that can't happen to us, and I don't think it will...Rene''. Accompanied by the mailing envelope made out in Gagnon's hand in ink and including his name and return address. 4pp. letter in pencil on 2 sheets of plain blue stationery measures 6'' x 8''. Toning, creasing and minor staining, overall very good condition.