WWII Iwo Jima Marine Rene Gagnon autograph letter signed as a Private First Class in the U.S. Marine Corps. A hero of the Battle of Iwo Jima, Gagnon was long believed to be one of the six soldiers pictured in "Raising The Flag on Iwo Jima", the iconic image of the turning point of the war. Datelined 25 June 1943 from training camp on Parris Island, South Carolina, letter is addressed to his love back home, Pauline Harnois, reading in part: "Darling Kiddo: This is really the first time I've had to write to you…They've been keeping us going from 6 in the morning till 9 at night, well I couldn't actually call it all work but I didn't have time to write…God grant me one wish to be able to see you once more, and hold you tight. Say by the way was there a lot of 'dog faces' that what we call soldiers at the Pine Island Saturday?…In the Reserves it is very seldom when we get to be a P.F.C. in boot camp, but you never can tell. I might be yet…They can ship us any time they want to, out of 64 men in each platoon they sometimes ship 2 or three out without a furlough…I know that one week isn't much to look forward to, but when I might be gone for a year before coming back after, I guess that one week will mean an awful lot to us…" Signed simply "Rene". Letter runs 6pp. on three sheets, measuring 7" x 10.5". Expected toning and two horizontal folds from mailing. Very good overall.

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