Following his graduation from college in 1943, Warren Musch joined the Marines. By early 1945 he was an Intelligence officer with the 3rd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment of the 5th Marine Division, which stormed the beach at Iwo Jima, then fought its way up Mount Suribachi. He survived the brutal combat on Iwo Jima, then helped plan the invasion of Japan before the war ended with the dropping of the atomic bomb. Following the war, he served as part of the occupation force in Japan.
Interview Links
Feature Excerpt
Landing on Iwo Jima
Abstract
Interview Session 01 (Audio)
Growing up on an Illinois farm, and Marine training
Interview Session 02 (Audio)
Combat on Iwo Jima and Japanese occupation
Transcript
Videos
Photos
Caption
Haroldine Husted as a young girl in the late 1920s. She grew up in Virginia, Illinois.
Where:
Virginia, Illinois
When:
Late 1920s
Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
Caption
Warren Musch as a young boy growing up on a farm near in the late 1920s. He and Haroldine were roughly the same age in these photos.
Where:
Virginia, Illinois
When:
Late 1920s
Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
Caption
Newly minted Lieutenant Warren Musch in his graduation photo from the Reserve Officers Class for the Officer Candidate School (OCS) at in September of 1943.
Where:
Quantico Virginia
When:
September of 1943
Ownership:
This image is considered to be in the public domain.
Caption
Warren Musch on the steps of the OCS barracks at Quantico, Virginia in the summer of 1943. He attended Marine Corps OCS from July through September of 1943.
Where:
Quantico, Virginia
When:
Summer of 1943
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
The Marine Corps used Warren for a publicity photo while he was stationed at Quantico, Virginia in the fall of 1943. He’s shown preparing mortar rounds, and was attending the Reserve Officer Class following his commissioning at the time.
Where:
Quantico, Virginia
When:
Fall of 1943
Ownership:
This image is considered to be in the public domain.
Caption
Newlyweds Haroldine and Warren Musch on June 23rd, 1944. Lieutenant Musch was stationed at Camp Pendleton, near Oceanside, California at the time.
Where:
Oceanside, California
When:
June 23rd, 1944
Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
Caption
John and Doris Newbery, who stood up with Warren and Haroldine at their wedding at the Santa Margarita Chapel on Camp Pendleton in June, 1944.
Where:
Santa Margarita Chapel on Camp Pendleton
When:
June, 1944
Ownership:
May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
Caption
Warren at the Marine Corps Birthday Ball on November 10th, 2008, at the VFW in Jacksonville, Illinois.
Where:
Jacksonville, Illinois
When:
November 10th, 2008
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Warren Musch gave a public program on his World War II experiences to an audience of roughly 350 people in a lecture hall at Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois. He could still fit into the service uniform he wore while in combat on Iwo Jima.
Where:
Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois
When:
Veterans Day, 2009
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Warren Musch at the Marine Corps Birthday Ball November 10th, 2010 at the VFW in Jacksonville, Illinois.
Where:
Jacksonville, Illinois
When:
November 10th, 2010
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo