Museum of America: Japanese M1930-32 Combat Helmet

Join Museum of America helmet curator Mannie Gentile for this boonie-stomp down memory lane to a cave on the island of Guam in 1971. Learn the story behind the MOA helmet collection. Seeing Mannie as a gawky 18 year old is worth the price of admission alone.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Guam
• helmet. combat helmet
• japanese helmet
• WWII
• World War Two
• hafa adai
• Mannie Gentile
• War
• travel

[Burco1]

Great story about your Japanese Helmet find on Guam. I purchased a German Army SD 40 helmet back in 1998 from The Ruptured Duck. It is a single decal and in decent shape with the leather intact. I would love to purchase more but I would then have to deal with my wifes wrath. One day soon I would like to purchase a Japanese 1930-32 helmet. Can you recommend a price range for a helmet in good condition? Thanks.

[mannie1952]

@Burco1

Thanks for the kind comments, and congratulations on that SD.

To find a helmet value I simply find and track similar models on ebay. That's really the best method these days. And how I prefer it. Pre ebay prices were determined by the canniness of the seller or the shrewdness of the buyer, it was all pretty tiring.

M.30-32s are out there and some in pretty nice condition. I think I'd set aside $300.00 for a good one.

Happy collecting,

Mannie

[barmtrail]

Great vdeo. Well done. My father was there in july 44. His best friend died in his arms during the invasion. Sgt, Lao Kwick. I lost my father in june 2008. Since then i have been researching everything i can about pacific battles on the 3rd marine division. i have located his records from virginia, and have learned that he was attached to the headquarters batt. signal corp. I have not been able to find out which beach he landed on however. When i visit guam i would like to visit that beach.

[mannie1952]

Hi,

Thanks for the kind words. You may be able to learn more about your father's whereabouts during the Guam fight by contacting the Naval Historical Center in Anacostia VA. Also the Marine Corps published the WORLD WAR II MARINE CORPS PACIFIC OPERATIONS HISTORY in the years following the war which is quite comprehensive and deals extensively with the fight on Guam.

Good luck in your search and enjoy Guam.

Mannie

[rmaxwell142]

Great video, Mannie! Thanks for sharing the link. You have quite an impressive collection of helmets! Which one is your favorite? Or is it hard to choose just one?

[mannie1952]

I'm not being coy when I say that my favorite helmet is always the most recent one I've acquired.

Mannie

[CheckM8King2]

I have one. How much are they worth?

[12345seth1245]

@mannie1952 i found a ww2 Japanese helmet in my moms boyfriend's back yard i waz told it waz a german but i found out that it's japanese thx for the vid i might post a pic of it on youtube check out my channel please

[Burco1]

@mannie1952 Thanks Mannie. Oh, I meant to ask you if you saw The Pacific and what was your take on it? I read "One Square Mile of Hell" about Tarawa and after seeing The Pacific episodes on Pelelieu (which I new next to nothing), I'm not sure which battle was more ferocious.

[ussr19411945]

hi im mac and i live in bay city mich and i am an ww2 reenactrer and civil war reenactor right now i am tring to make a wake island impresion for a reenactmint ti bay city the only trubel i hav is geting a m1917a1 helmit i also have a helmit coletion my fers was a ww1 m1917 trench art helmet

[barmtrail]

I found the book mannie, Thanks again. There are so many companys and battalions and different units among the 3rd marine division, that these books will be helpful. I would really like to take a trip down the roads my father took. He did not tell us 8 kids many stories, but the ones he did are making more sense the more i read about the battles he took part in. Guam was more brutal than many think. He told what the Japs did to guam woman and i will not repeat it here. I will visit guam someday.

[barmtrail]

Thanks mannie. I will check out that book.