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I have always wondered about this. My grandfather who has since passed was involved in Iwo Jima and he told me he took a sword from a dead Japanese and kept it for many years but gave it away to a friend a long time before he told me. I never really thought much of it but while I have heard of soldiers taking things from soldiers they have killed and now would most definitely not be allowed, back during WWII could, say a U.S soldier that killed a Japanese really just take their sword or gun and take it back home as a souvenir without much question?
My stepfather took personal possessions from a Japanese home whose occupants had fled, I suppose he would have had no scruples about picking souvenirs off of a dead soldier.
"The Germans fight for the Fatherland,
The French fight for the Glory of France,
The British fight for King and Country,
The Americans fight for souvenirs."
"The Germans fight for the Fatherland,
The French fight for the Glory of France,
The British fight for King and Country,
The Americans fight for souvenirs."
Sorry. Can't remember the source.
I've a fondness for pithy quotes, and like to source them.
All this in the heart of a bitter war. It's a funny world. As one of our gun crew remarked, "The Germans fight for Glory, their cities, and their homes. The Americans fight for souvenirs." -- Ernie Pyle, December 24, 1943.
Not saying that Pyle originated the quote, just that he reported it.
If you think that there is anything wrong with taking from the corpses of the enemy dead, then you know very little about war. In reality, most souvenirs were taken from homes or from the abandoned gear on battlefields.
On the grand list of things that are done that aren't good, this is about 347,239 on the list. Also, the Japanese, Russians and Germans were far, far, far worse than us. You should watch a documentary on the Rape of Nanking by the Japanese or read about what the Russians did to the Germans...then come back with some perspective.
My dad was in the Walled City of Manila right After it fell. They picked up a sword and several pistols. When he arrived back on the west coast they let officers keep the stuff but were taking it away from the common sailor. He dumped some pistols etc over the side while at the dock. Oh yeah he was a MERCHANT SAILOR!
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Were soldiers allowed to take souvenirs from dead soldiers in WWII?
