WWII US Navy Corpsman - 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. 

Accompanying my previous two late, and early war Corpsman is this new variant highlighting a really odd piece of equipment. Photos of Corpsman on Tarawa show many wearing a bulky, apron-like rig on their chest. Several weeks of deep research finally unveiled that was a relatively unknown piece of Navy equipment, intended to be issued to Corpsman jumping with Paramarines as an all-in-one medical kit. Some of these obscure bags seem to have made their way into the hands of Marine Raiders, and from there, to some Corpsman of the 2nd Marine Division. 

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 M1 Steel Pot Helmet with Corpsman white circle
• Custom printed minifigure head 
• Navy N3 utility uniform   
• Marine N1 'boondocker' field shoes 
• Marine contract M1936 pistol belt
• Marine P2 canteen cover x2
• Paramarine Corpsman jump bag
• Inside leg dungarees printing 

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

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