Original U.S. WWII Iwo Jima USMC Killed in Action Uniform Grouping of Alexander Radisa, Weapons Company, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division with Folder of Research

Original Items. One-of-a-Kind Grouping. This is the uniform grouping of Marine Private Alexander Radisa, who was killed in action on February 19th, 1945 at Iwo Jima while serving with the Weapons Company, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division. The uniforms come with a large folder of roughly 50 pages of printed research on Alexander and his son who served during the Vietnam War. Photos of the uniform group in the research show that the ribbon bar on the jacket was added for display.

The group consists of:
- Radisa’s USMC Forest Green uniform jacket. The jacket has a 5th Marine Division patch & PFC chevron on the left sleeve, and collar EGAs. It is marked in the left sleeve with the name Radisa along with a maker mark COLLEGE HILL FASHIONS and is dated July 1943. The uniform has a 5 place ribbon bar with the Purple Heart, Navy Presidential Unit Citation with a Star, American Campaign medal, Asiatic Campaign medal with one star, and the WWII Victory medal. Obviously, the ribbon bar was added for display as his Purple Heart was awarded posthumously. 
- Radisa’s forest green trousers. They stamped twice with A. RADISA in the correct USMC style.
- Radisa’s uniform shirt with PFC chevron on arm. 
- Radisa’s USMC Dress blue uniform & trousers. The jacket has collar EGAs which were added, and a 5th Marine Division patch.
- Folder with 50+ pages of printed research material including Marine Corps documents about Radisa’s service, multiple photos of him, and information about this uniform group on online forums. There is also much about his son, Alexander Jr., who served in Vietnam.

Alex joined the Marines in 1943 and was placed with the 5th Marine Division. Corporal Alexander Radisa (you will note the dress uniforms have the PFC rank, as he did not make Corporal until right before the Iwo Jima invasion). He trained with several engineering groups while in California but eventually was assigned to the 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division and within that unit was assigned to the half-track platoon. Just prior to leaving the US in late 1944, his wife came to visit him. They shared one night that would change their lives. Just prior to the Iwo Jima invasion, Alex was notified by an officer that he was going to be a father.

Just days later, while walking beside his half-track on the 2nd wave, the Japanese on Iwo opened fire, a shell ripping a hole in Alex's chest. A fellow Marine recalled they could see his heart beating. The platoon's corpsman reportedly walked straight up under fire to come to Alex's aid instead of several nearby Marines. Alex's last words reportedly were pleas to the corpsman to go help other Marines. And so Alex died there on the beaches of Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945.

Alex's body was recovered later and placed in the American Cemetery on Iwo Jima. The platoon members spent some time making a headstone for him and carried the headstone up to the cemetery, only to find out that only military headstones would be allowed and no hand made ones. So, among the row of crafted headstones, his platoon members left their monument.

This is a phenomenal uniform grouping, ready for further research and display.

Approximate Measurements:-
Collar to shoulder: 9"
Shoulder to sleeve: 25”
Shoulder to shoulder: 14"
Chest width: 17”
Waist: 16"
Hip: 22"
Front length: 33"

Collar to shoulder: 9"
Shoulder to sleeve: 26”
Shoulder to shoulder: 15.5"
Chest width: 19”
Waist: 17"
Hip: 22"
Front length: 32"

Pants:
Waist: 15"
Inseam: 30"
Waist: 14.5"
Inseam: 30"