Spooky Submarine Tale: Skulls for Smokes

Slight correction the photograph Paul referred to towards the end of the video, which we have included, was of a woman glancing at a Japanese skull which had been signed by her boyfriend and his friends. We do not know if it was made into a lamp.
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Citation for photograph which was used under fair use:
“Arizona war worker writes her Navy boyfriend a thank-you note for the Jap skull he sent her.” LIFE magazine's “Picture of the Week,” May 22, 1944.
An addition photo caption was:
"When he said goodbye two years ago to Natalie Nickerson, 20, a war worker of Phoenix, Ariz., a big, handsome Navy lieutenant promised her a Jap. Last week Natalie received a human skull, autographed by her lieutenant and 13 friends, and inscribed: "This is a good Jap - a dead one picked up on the New Guinea beach."

[@waynewolfe8817]

Dad brought back a couple spark plugs from a B-29, I wish I knew what happened to them, he was a Staff Sgt on Guam in the 20th AF, mom brought back a couple of bracelets made for her by a GI, out of aircraft aluminum, and one made of small silver coins by a Frenchman, and a 3x5 foot swastika given to her by a GI coming back from the Bulge. She was a buck Sgt in the WACS.

[@zxggwrt]

My mother told me a story about my father who served on every type of sub during the Vietnam era. A sailor who was about to join the crew was discovered to have a substantial interest in rather unusual violent porn that made everyone uncomfortable. He did not join them after the crew brought this to the attention of leadership. This story reminded me of that.

[@dukeofgibbon4043]

USS Cod crayons; for Marines who need souvenirs

[@adamdubin1276]

One of my Grandfathers brought back a love of curried lentils from his time in India and Burma, my other Grandfather was a radio man on a B-17 and brought home a small pouch of shrapnel that the surgeon dug out of his leg. Other than that just some campaign medals and a couple purple hearts, as both of them had been wounded at one time or another.

[@mbterabytesjc2036]

Maybe not as bad as a body part but, I picked up a military sword at a flea market while living in Louisiana thinking it was US made. A few decades later I took it to the Antique Roadshow and found out it was a Japanese military police sword from WW2. Obviously someone's WW2 souvenir no longer recognized by the family as valuable.

[@tankman7711]

My Great Uncle was a USMC Corporal in WW2, He did tell one story about WW2. Some of his Marines had sold to a Sailor ( rear supply guy) a bunch of souvenirs like rifles, pistols, swords, flags, helmets....skulls...etc. But my Great Uncle and a Platoon Sergeant went back to the rear and made the Sailor sell it all back ( no profit)....seems he was using the souvenirs as props for his crazy war stories ( this particular sailor had never been in action) and the stories were so outlandish it had the few replacement Marines....very young, very green....more scared than ever. Apparently the visit from two combat Marines & this Sailors Chief had impact....Uncle Waltrr said they never heard crazy stories again & when they had to go the rear get supplies they came bak w/extra goodies.

[@larrydemaar409]

Sounds like skullduggery to me!

[@rcbailey2581]

My father was a sailor on a Destroyer Escort. He brought back two 6.5 rifles and a sword. I still have them and they have the blossom on them. I don't know the story of them being acquired. He was almost everywhere in the Pacific and I just assume he bought them or traded for them.

[@johngold5811]

My dad served during the Korean war. He had a bunch of stuff, including a mortar shell (my brother has that) a grenade (demilled, mine), an bunch of .50 cal rounds, some shrapnel, and a handful of what I think are Arisaka rounds.

[@scottgrimwood8868]

A very interesting but disturbing story. The photo of the girl with the Japanese skull mentioned in the video was a Life Magizine photo. The image was reused in the book "Life Goes to War". The photo is on page 139.

[@callhoonrepublican]

WWII marine- takes a long drag- ''You wouldn't get it''

[@janjones4536]

Hey are those Ghoulardis sidekicks in that torpedo tube?😃😁😆🤣Oxnard. He was really something--clevelands own Ernie Anderson

[@FuriousMess]

thank-you for the cool video

[@bobd5197]

Fascinating story, especially when you consider the Cod's logo! Perhaps the sailor wasn't actually in the line of fire, but a rear echelon type who thought the skulls would make good souvenir? On another note, I was wondering how you guy's prep the boat for winter?

[@georgemartin1436]

Thanks Paul!

[@franklinwerren7684]

My Uncle, an Army Vet and was part of the relief effort of the Marines of the Pacific, brought back 3 Japanese Rifles…. I have no idea how he managed to smuggle them in to the US but he did.

[@polarjet1833]

The second I heard that he traded with the Marines I knew it was gonna be skulls

[@bluerebel01]

Wow!

[@roberthutchins1507]

I apologize for not remembering the details, but the stoty was that a Marine cut off ears and strung them together to hang outside his tent. I think it might have been Okinawa.

[@kevinthomas895]

I've heard of the same thing going on in Vietnam

[@johnslaughter5475]

My dad brought a couple pineapples home. Fully inert. When playing war, I'd get those and throw them. Not bad for a 10 year old. Somewhere along the line the authorities became aware of them and they were confiscated. The Japanese had a lot of civilians with them on Saipan. Among the propaganda they told them was that the Marines would rape the women and eat the children. One of the most gruesome videos I've ever seen was the Japanese civilians, men, women & children, throwing themselves off a high cliff on Saipan. I've heard that even some of the battle hardened Gyrenes threw up at the sight. There's a memorial on that cliff to what happened.

[@thejohnbeck]

I have a tiny suspicion the authorities wanted the pineapples for themselves, even though they were perfectly safe for you to have

[@stevewindisch7400]

My great uncle was crew on an LCVP Higgins Boat landing craft, and witnessed that horrible event on Saipan. He got that job as punishment for fighting with a petty officer. But what haunted him most from his many combat assaults, was having to pull his .45 pistol and threaten to shoot boys paralyzed with fear who didn't want to leave the boat at the beach. More than once, he saw them killed immediately after. He had a difficult time after the war. We had it easy, they did not.

[@tonydagostino6158]

I think it's sad that the Marine had become so dehumanized by his experiences that he thought favorably of such a gruesome pair of souvenirs.

[@waynewolfe8817]

What you don't understand is that the enemy, was a REAL enemy, and many a GI was thrilled to survive battle with the Japanese. Being captured by them was next thing to a death sentence. To fight like that, you need to learn to hate. Sad to say, but they wouldn't think twice about cutting your head off, very brutal, animal fighting.

[@callhoonrepublican]

You guys ever heard of the 1st marine division skull? they painted it and everything.

[@mjames70]

War is a very dehumanizing experience, especially in the modern age. Stories like this were not uncommon from WW2. Largely forgotten today, was that the Pacific war was extremely racist, on both sides.

[@paulfarace9595]

I'm not sure it was better in the old days... at least we have the Geneva Convention ... read about the battles in medieval Europe or the vikings... 😮

[@tomhenry897]

Non submariners on a sub? Sounds dangerous Still had meat on them? Don’t blame them