OKINAWA: TOWARDS THE BITTER END – FRAMED

Description

In Europe the endgame was fast approaching as the final remnants of Hitler’s Third Reich disintegrated within the shattered ruins of Berlin. But in the Pacific the war against the Japanese was far from over – if anything the savagery was intensifying.

Following their victory at Midway, American forces had fought a long, bloody and bitter campaign to retake the Japanese held islands in the Pacific. By the end of March 1945, however, they had finally captured Iwo Jima and looked towards Okinawa, a province of Japan itself. Less than 400 miles south of its mainland, it was the place from which the Allied invasion of Japan must be launched. Supported by a huge Naval presence, including one of the largest British fleets ever assembled, the assault began on 1 April 1945 with the largest amphibious landing of the Pacific war.

The Japanese response was ferocious seeing the peak of the kamikaze scourge and while the British ships with their steel decks fared much better, the relentless attacks took their toll on the US Fleet, highlighting a conflict worse than anything seen before. The 82 day battle was one of the most severe and bloody campaigns of WWII, accounting for over 14000 Allied deaths and five times that number of Japanese soldiers.

In one of the most powerful paintings of his long and distinguished career, Robert Taylor depicts USMC Ace Dean Caswell and F4U Corsairs from VMF-221, based on the carrier USS Bunker Hill, climbing away from the target area after delivering a blistering rocket attack on enemy positions on Okinawa.

The prints in this outstanding edition are personally signed by legendary Pilots and Aces who flew Corsairs during the assault of Okinawa, including Dean Caswell, creating a unique collectors piece. Parts of the edition are also autographed by Army and Navy veterans who fought at Okinawa, giving enthusiasts the rare opportunity to acquire a remarkable historic account of one of the greatest battles of WWII, and an important piece to be cherished by future generations.

THE FRAMED COLLECTOR’S EDITION

The Collector’s edition print has been signed by Ten pilots who flew the F4U Corsair in combat during the Battle of Okinawa:

Colonel DEAN CASWELL USMC – Corsairs VMF-221 / 7 victories. Later flew in Korea and Vietnam.
Colonel JOE MCPHAIL USMC – Corsairs, VMF-441 & VMF-323 / 2 victories. Later flew in Korea, 240 missions in total
Colonel JIM SWETT Medal of Honor – 15 ½ victories
Colonel BRUCE PORTER – 5 victories (the only USMC Ace with victories in both the Corsair and Hellcat)
Lieutenant Colonel LYLE BRADLEY USMC – Corsairs VMF-225 & VMF-123 / Later flew in Korea
Captain PHILLIP DE GROOT USMC – Corsairs VMF-224 / Later flew in Korea, 140 combat missions in total
Lieutenant Commander TOM MCBRIDE USN – Corsairs VMF-1 / Later flew in Korea
Lieutenant Colonel DARRELL SMITH USMC – Corsairs VMF-312 “Checkerboards” / Later flew in Korea
First Lieutenant CLINT FLADLAND USMC – Corsairs VMF-321’s “Hell’s Angels” / Later flew in Korea
Lieutenant Colonel WILLIAM LUCAS USMC – Corsairs VMF-216 / Later flew in Korea and Vietnam.

THE FRAMED VETERAN’S EDITION (Pictured)

The Veterans Edition print has been signed by a further five veterans who fought in the Battle of Okinawa, making a total of fifteen autographs:

Commander WILLIS HARDY USN – Hellcats VF-17 “Jolly Rogers”  / 6½ victories, Ace in a day
Commander DEAN LAIRD USN –  Wildcats & Hellcat VF-4 / 6 ½ victories. Later flew in Korea
Sergeant HARRY MOMI
Commander DONALD SCHMAHL
Seaman 1st Class MIKE WONDERLICH

Additionally, both editions of the print have been conservation matted and framed to include museum quality reproduction USN Wings and the original signatures of three further iconic Pacific Aces:

Colonel JEFFERSON J. DE BLANC Medal of Honor – USMC VMF-112 Wildcat Ace / 9 victories
Lieutenant KENNETH A. WALSH Medal of Honor – USMC VMF-124 Corsair Ace / 21 victories
Colonel ARCHIE G. DONAHUE USMC – Wildcat Ace / 14 victories, including Ace in a day