 75 years ago, on November 20th, 1943, 18,000 Marines landed on the shores of the Japanese defended island of Tarawa, and one brave devil duck landed too. His name was Sergeant Seawash. Corporal Francis Bap Fagan won Seawash at a poker game in New Zealand. If it hadn't been for Fagan, Seawash would have ended up as someone's dinner. Seawash went on to make a name for himself. He even made it in Life Magazine, where he cited for engaging in wing-to-wing combat against the Japanese rooster. Fagan's awarded him the Purple Heart for pec wounds he received during combat. On the battlefield, Seawash was always the last to waddle into a foxhole and the last to get out. Seawash was always treated like a Marine, whether it was through hardships or celebrations. Every time we had a social event, they would give him a beer and he'd get drunk. When Seawash had enough beer, he would shake his head from side to side, an indication to the Marines that the duck was having a good time. After multiple deployments, Seawash retired to a farm in California, but didn't take civilian life very well. He then re-enlisted to the Corps to help recruit and sell war bonds during the Korean War. Seawash eventually retired to the Lincoln Zoo in Chicago. Oh, and it turned out Seawash was a lady duck. The zoo employees discovered that Seawash had lied about her gender to serve on the front lines of the war. Sadly, Seawash passed away in 1954 after 11 years of faithful service to the Corps. Her obituary stated that her funeral was to be held at a taxidermist shop. She escaped the dinner plate, became a media darling, and inspired Marines as the one and only mighty devil duck. And purified Seawash.