Iwo Jima Interest.- René Gagnon Autograph letter from René Gagnon

The letter, to his girlfriend, on marine corp stationary with a emblem bearing the American Eagle and two American flag, reads in part "Well as you noticed by the date, this is New Years Eve, and I guess there won't be no celebrating this year, as I'm in duty tonight... I certainly hope that the New Year brings victory, don't you, so we can all be together next Christmas... Right now the radio is tuned in to Kate Smith, and she's singing all old songs... it seems to bring me back to that time that when my mother saw my father go to war, I guess she never dreamed that one day, she'd have a son thats[sic] would also be in the service. And by the way I've got the swellest girl in the world waiting for me too...", two pages, folding marks, 4to, Charleston, 31 December 1943.

***René Arthur Gagnon (March 7, 1925 – October 12, 1979) was a United States Marine Corps corporal who participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War 2. Gagnon was generally (but incorrectly) known as being one of the Marines who raised the second U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945, as depicted in the iconic photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima by photographer Joe Rosenthal. On October 16, 2019, the Marine Corps announced publicly (after an investigation) that Corporal Harold Keller, not Gagnon, was in Rosenthal's photo. Gagnon was one of three men who were originally identified incorrectly as flag-raisers in the photograph (the others being Hank Hansen and John Bradley). The first flag raised over Mount Suribachi at the south end of Iwo Jima was deemed too small. Later that day, Gagnon, a runner in the 5th Marine Division, was given a larger flag to take up the mountain. As the second flag-raising was exceptionally well photographed and there was no photo of the first flag-raising, the photo of the second flag-raising became famous and was widely reproduced.

Dimensions:6.75 x 10.5"/ 17 x 26.6cm

Provenance:

University Archives, Rare Autographs, Manuscripts & Books, 11 November 2020, lot no. 286

With Certificate of Authenticity from John Reznikoff