WWII US Marine Rifleman - Tarawa 1943

The Battle of Tarawa (November 20–23, 1943) was a brutal World War II clash in which the U.S. 2nd Marine Division assaulted the heavily fortified Japanese-held island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll. Confident in their defenses, the Japanese commander boasted that 'a million men could not take the island in a hundred years'. This initially appeared to be the case as unexpectedly low tides stranded many U.S. landing craft on reefs, forcing Marines to wade ashore under devastating fire. However, after three days of fierce, often hand-to-hand combat, U.S. forces secured the tiny island. Almost 2000 Marines and sailors would lose their lives taking the island, just 2 miles long and 800 yards deep at the widest point. These extreme losses for such a small island were documented by Marine combat cameramen for the documentary film "With the Marines at Tarawa". Due to the unprecedented violence showing actual, real time combat and the bodies of Americans killed, Hollywood refused to produce the film, and a presidential order was required to release the film. Following notable war correspondent Robert Sherrod's advice that "our soldiers on the front want people back home to know that they don't knock the hell out of them every day of every battle. They want people to understand that war is a horrible, nasty business, and to say otherwise is to do a disservice to those who died" the film was released for public screening in 1944. It went on to receive an Oscar in 1944, and is known for shaping the public's understanding of modern warfare, as well as what viewers expect from war films to this day. 

Marines landing on Tarawa quickly became known for the new frogskin P1942 uniforms, just issued to many men of the 2nd Marine Division, with its striking bright tan side camouflage really sticking out in period photographs. This side of the camouflage dungarees quickly fell out of favor due to its limited usefulness in most environments and tendency to fade to a bright white after long-term sun exposure. Tarawa would prove to be both it's first and lass major use by the Marine Corps. Beyond the uniform, this figure is intended to represent the average Marine rifleman after landing on the beaches, and is based on the widely circulated image of a Marine taking a seat on the sand to get a quick drink of Water. I've included the crossed bandoliers on his chest with extra enbloc clips tucked over them, as well as the multitude of early, bright yellow hand grenades handing from his bandoliers. The yellow hand grenades followed the pre war ordnance department regulations with yellow denoting high explosives. Of course, this was quickly amended once fighting in the jungles of the pacific showed that the bright yellow ruined any chance of concealment. Most grenades would be quickly repainted in the field starting in 1943, although the Marine Corps continued to use stock of the yellow ones through the remainder of the war. Completing the figure is my favorite detail of the reverse side green frogskin peeking through where the jacket collar is unbuttoned and the pants are cuffed up. 

Editions: 

Original Proof Copy - 1 of 1, first complete minifigure out of the printer. Signature by Landon Reimer, plastic protective sleeve with 1x6 display brick. 

Collectors Edition - Signature by Landon Reimer, hand numbered, plastic protective sleeve with 1x6 display brick. 

Base Model - Complete figure in hand-stamped numbered case inspired by WWII era packaging. This packaging again, is hand-stamped and is not intended to look perfect. 

Figure artwork includes:

• Custom printed BrickArms frogskin M1 Steel Pot Helmet
• Custom printed wrap around M1 helmet straps minifigure head 
• P1942 frogskin beach/tan side uniform  
• Marine N1 'boondocker' field shoes 
• Marine contract M1923 cartridge belt
• Marine P2 canteen cover 
• 2x crossed rifle bandoliers
• MK2 hand grenade (early war yellow)
• Enbloc rifle clips  
• Inside leg reversed frogskin printing 

Information: Art and printing by Lando (that’s me!) on genuine factory direct Lego minifigure elements & BrickArms headgear.

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