Marines playing baseball on Saipan 1944

[AstroJake09]

Hi all,

My passion in school is history so I'm always researching and seeing what I can find. I recently came across this photo from a WWII photo album from the invasion and occupation of Saipan. Until 1944 no African-American Marines had seen combat, this changed however in June of 1944 when the United States invaded Saipan. The attached photo shows, what I believe to be some of these first African-American Marines playing baseball on the island. Notice the makeshift screen and backstop, the batter mid-swing as well as a white Marine on third with them. It shows that in the middle of a war you can find a little time to un-wind and bring the comforts of home with you and that the color of our skin does not define us, because for these men, the only thing that mattered was that each man had the other's back when they needed them and that they all wore the same uniform.

Thanks

[Scott Garner]

Great photo!

[Jeff Alcorn]

Hi,

Thank you very much for posting this photo. My Dad was a Navy gunner (20 MM cannon) on the S.S. Sea Witch (converted merchant ship) that carried the 4th Marine Division from Camp Pendleton to Saipan and Tinian.

He did go ashore briefly on a supply boat looking for souvenirs when the Marines had pushed about 1 mile inland but got out of there when Japanese snipers were shooting at him from the tops of palm trees. His ship was attacked during the landings by a Japanese fighter plane and he was credited with shooting it down.

It makes me wonder if he knew any of these Marines. My Dad's name was Dean Alcorn, Seaman 1st Class and he played football and ran track at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles ( Warren Moon's future HS). He would have loved to see this photo, thanks again.

Jeff Alcorn