Once in a lifetime find!

[SCpicker]

So not too long ago at a sale I bought a box of WW2 paperwork. It was mostly folders of confidential ww2 ship reports. All from the same ship. There were some other things in the box such as "weekly intelligence" and "know your enemy" pamphlets. Pretty much everything was marked restricted or confidential. Most of the folders were still unopened and bound with old twine.

Afterwards I find out the sale was the estate of a lady that had passed away with no surviving children. Her husband passed away over 30 years ago. He was the captain of a minesweeper during ww2. The ship participated in the battle of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He had saved the ship reports and everything. It's crazy to think this stuff had just been sitting in a box that whole time.

 

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[SCpicker]

So I finally get around to opening the folders and looking at everything...I nearly have a heart attack!!! In one of the folders are top secret maps for the invasion of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Two of the maps are the exact ones that are on a pawn stars episode. It's on YouTube... "Pawn Stars: Iwo Jima Battle Plans". The others I can't find anywhere online. They are obviously extremely rare.

So now I'm curious of the value and what exactly to do with them. The ship reports alone are an amazing piece of history. Those and the top secret maps are definitely a once in a lifetime find!

 

[Lost&Found]

Nice finds. Can't help on the valuations though.

I can't help myself for the following joke.

Email them to Hillary. It will be fine. They are no longer marked Top Secret.

 

[JimDon]

Great archive find. There's not too many of those left.

 

[Butter Hat]

I'd go with an established auction house, whether you want to sell or find out insurance value. There must be one that specializes in military items.

 

[bigcaddy64]

That is an awesome score. Military items were churned out by the millions but stuff like that is really special. That's one of those rare items that can be directly placed at Iwo, prior to the invasion. Imagine what the officers were thinking when they were looking it over the in the days leading up to Feb. 19th. What were they thinking 4 days later once they had landed on that barren moonscape? I can say it wasn't pleasant. I don't know how well read you are on the subject but i would pick up a book or two about Iwo Jima and see what those young soldiers were faced once they landed on those beaches. I used to think that European Theater/Normandy was the real "grinder" when it came to casualties but the Pacific takes that title.

I would suggest "Iwo Jima - Legacy of Valor" That book paints a picture of war that no photograph could ever match.

 

[Icewing]

That stuff belongs in a museum, most museums will take stuff on loan and put your name with the item to credit you.

 

[diggummup]

Those are great items. I would first try getting a free evaluation at Heritage Auctions via email. It should be worthy enough I would think. https://historical.ha.com/c/acquisi...ilitaria&ic=WorthFreeAuctionEvaluation-010113

 

[SCpicker]

I agree that they belong in a museum. If I decide to sell them I have a feeling they'll still end up in one. The sale that they came from had many other amazing things. All his medals. The sextant from the ship. Pennants that were flown on the ship. A pennant that he had labeled "battle of Iwo Jima". A worn out flag that was labeled battle of Okinawa. Even his diplomas and such. The only thing I managed to buy was that box of paperwork and couple of pennants.

 

[dejapooh]

Nice finds. Can't help on the valuations though.

I can't help myself for the following joke.

Email them to Hillary. It will be fine. They are no longer marked Top Secret.

Email them to George W. He'll make up a reason to invade, anyways.

 

[Tigger]

The National Archives in St. Louis covers that time period.

 

[peruna]

SCpicker, what a great find.

Your thoughts about a museum are spot on. I would like to suggest one that I know well, and that is chartered to that subject. The National Museum of the Pacific War (pacificwarmuseum.org) is located in Fredericksburg, Texas, the home of Adm. Chester Nimitz. It has one of a kind articles and displays, much like the one you have found. It also has ties with several research centers that focus on that theater of operations. i believe they would be interested.

In any case, thanks for locating another piece of our nation's history...

 

[Trezurehunter]

I would have paid a pretty penny for those, as my Father-in-Law was in both of those battles & survived. Something like that would have been worth the money because of the history & my In-Law connection.

 

[diggummup]

Personally, I think this is a banner find, estate sale or not! Nomination in.