US Marine Infantryman, June 1944
The crack infantry of the US Marine Corps were linked administratively to the US Navy rather than the Army. Their tactical employment, and details of their clothing and equipment, also distinguished them from the bulk of America's foot-soldiers. They specialised in amphibious assault, and were employed almost exclusively in the Pacific theatre of operations. During the savage and costly 'island-hopping' counteroffensive against the Japanese, which lasted three and a half years, they became renowned for their fighting qualities and their tenacity, at a heavy cost in lives. Our subject here is a Sniper from the 2nd Marine Division. The Japanese were adept at last-ditch defence of cunningly concealed positions, and their snipers held up many advances; the Marines were obliged to put much effort into locating and neutralising them.
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