A tribute to the M1 Garand and the men who carried it in World War II

I lost my son in Iraq last year. While on his last leave he carried my M-1 GARAND during a WW2 reanactment. It was the last weapon he carried of mine before he left for duty with the U.S.Army in Iraq.
It is my most treasured rifle, thank God for giving us such men and weapons to battle evil. I am an ole Marine
SEMPER FI
Derek H.
jyl1963@msn.com

A note from the webmaster. I had to write after reading and posting this, mostly because I am leaving with the US Army for Iraq later this month. I want to sincerly thank this old Marine for his service and sacrifice. I will follow his son's footsteps across that desert with pride and with the intention of carrying on his duties with honor.

--Sgt. Foster

My father was in world war two and as a teenager I watched all the old war movies that where made during my time. One of the most wanting peice of equipment that those men carried was the M-1 Garand rifle. I wanted one those guns so bad that it hurt. But with school and girls will it was put on the back buner for a while and I mean for a lonnnng while. But it wasn't but two years ago that at a gun show in my area I was passing one of the tables when something caught my eye. There it was a M1-Garand rifle. The hurt came back all over again. I had to have that gun no matter what I had to have that gun. With talking to the owner asking questions about the gun he said it was from his own collection. He said he bought it from the cmp and he had it for a long time . Well let me tell you that Garand was in good shape no rust or pitting no where. We made a deal and buddy that Garand was mine. I showed that gun to all my friends I showed that gun to my older brother and I take that gun out of my gun cabinet all most every night and yes no matter how stupid it sounds even when a old war movie comes on there is me and my M-1. I look at this battle rifle and wonder did my dad carry this in ww2 and
did my father-in-law carry one in ww2 and Korea. I tell my son that this rifle must be passed down to him and his sons and never to sold again because it means what his grandpas and those others that gave there lives to keep this great country of ours free. Even a man at the age of 49 can still be a little kid again.

Truly Yours
Stanley W.

Dear Sir:
I saw your web site and hope you can help. I am looking for information on the M1 Garand muzzel gage. It was listed in the 1943 Rock Island Armory Base shop Data manual. I am wondering if it was listed in any other Gov't or Armory publications?

Item 2: Any information on the M1 Garand Operating Rod Gage.

Where can a receiver bridge / or just receiver gage be obtained.

Thank you
JSwartz280@aol.com

Hi, my name is Jeff and I just purchased an M1 from the Civilian Marksmanship Program. If anyone is looking for an M1 it is one of the easiest ways to get one. Check out their website www.cmp.com and in no time (if you meet all the requirements) you can have one delivered to you home. When I opened the box they shipped it in I could no believe my eyes. For a weapon that was over 60 years old it was in incredible condition and it shoots like a dream. I could not be happier. The total cost for me was about $450 with shipping included.
I had always wanted one for many years but could not afford one until recently. I am 50 years old and grew up on the stories that my father and uncles told as we were growing up. They are almost all gone now including my father but I will always remember their stories and I will try to pass them on to anyone who is interested.
My hero will always be my uncle Frank who was with the Big Red One. He was a highly decorated soldier and was in four invasions in Europe. His last fight was at Omaha Beach where he was terribly wounded and crippled for the rest of his life. I remember as a child looking at all the bullet and shrapnel wounds that he had all over his body and listened to all his stories. It was not until I became an adult that I realized what this meant and I have since become obsessed with WW2 and all of its significance. He and I were very close and when he passed away in 1979 I was given the flag from his casket and I inherited all of his decorations and citations. Along with the flag from my fathers casket they are my most cherished possessions.
Owning a part of history with all the mystery surrounding it somehow helps my understand a little bit better of what it must have been like to live in those times and appreciate the sacrifices that were made by those gave their all for our country.
God Bless America

Dear Sirs,
I'm trying to determine the approximate value of a M1 Garand #108 in
excellent condition that my father gave me six years ago when we were
reunited after a 28 year separation. I understand from an email years
ago that it was actually the 27th that was let out of the factory, the
first 81 being kept as prototypes. This would be for insurance purposes
since I had plan to pass it along to my nephew, Jason, who is a FAC in
Baghdad now. I have photos if needed.
Best Regards,
Andy
adantoni@duke-energy.com

I have been extensively researching my father's, SGM Bill DeSoto
military history, and welcome any personnel expediences and/or photos/docs.

1 - He fought in Europe WWII, 328th Inf.Div., 26th I.D., Patton's 3rd
Army -
3 PH's & Bronze Star. Battle of the Bulge, Ardennes, etc. 1943-1946

2 - "B" Troop, 68 Squadron, US Constabulary, Border Patrol, PLT/SGT,
carried
Thompson machine gun. They were also known as the "Circle C Cowboys"
and called the "Blitz Politzei" by the Russians. Augsburg 1947-1950

3 - Co. H, 2nd Armd. Cav. Regt.- Training and Border Patrol, PLT/SGT,
Tank Cmmdr. Augsburg, Germany, 1950-1952 (Dad was also at the
Nuremburg
Trials)

4 - Co. B, 32nd Inf. Regt., 7th Inf.Div., 8th Army, PLT/SGT,
Alligator Jaw, Old Baldy, Porkchop Hill, Korea, 1953

5 - UNPIK 8240th Partisan Forces Wolf Pack One, Advisor along with 1st
Lt.
Charlie Norton, in raids above 38th parallel, and later as MACVSOG
Commdr. Norton. Kangwha-do Island, Korean, 1953-1954
It was here that Dad took back the M1 Garand he had just issued to a Korean
Partisan because of the production number of 108. I also have an army
permit
from the Berlin Brigade and later on his medical wound tag from taking a
.50 cal.
machine gun at Plei Me, 25 Oct. 1965. That first big battle of the Siege of
Plei Me was featured in Time Mag. and later in a Soldier of Fortune article
about "Chargin' Charlie Beckwith. Dad is mentioned several times.

6 - 1st Officer Candidate Regt., Instructor at OCS School, Ft. Benning,
GA, 1954-1955

7 - 77th Special Forces Gp. Abn., SF Training, Ft. Bragg,NC, 1955-1956
Received his Master Parachute Wings

8 - 10th Special Forces Gp. Abn., Team SGT of FA-14, Bad Toltz, Germany,
1956-1959

9 - 77th/7th Special Forces Gp. Abn., "A" Team SGT/MAJ "classified
mission",
Laos White Star, with Beckwith and Lt. Arthur "Bull" Simon, Laos,
1959-1960

10 - 77th Special Forces Gp. Abn., Demolition and UDT Training, Ft. Bragg,
and Camp LeJeune, NC, 1960-1961

11 - Det. A, Berlin Brigade, "B" Team SGT/MAJ "classified mission",
Berlin, Germany, 1961-1962

12 - 4th BN, 18th Inf. Regt., Battalion SGT/MAJ, Berlin Brigade, Berlin,
Germany, 1963-1964

13 - 7th Special Forces Gp. Abn., "B" Team SGT/MAJ, Ft. Bragg, NC, 1964

14 - 5th Special Forces Gp. Abn., Det. B-52 "Project Delta" SGT/MAJ,
Vietnam, 1964-1965 WIA - 25 Oct 1965, 4th PH and 3rd Bronze Star w/
'V' device for Heroism

15 - 7th Special Forces Gp. Abn., Co. "B", SGM, WIA attempting to take
out
an accurate sniper nest. Plei Me, with Col. Charlie Beckwith, Womack
Hosp., Ft. Bragg, NC, 1966-1967

16 - 5th Special Forces Gp. Abn., CMD/SGT/MAJ, (CSM), of Command and
Control
MACVSOG CCN, Awarded Air Medal & Army Commendation Medal., Vietnam,
1967-1968

17 - 7th Special Forces Gp. Abn., Co."D", Inf/Senior/SGT, Womack Army
Hospital, Ft. Bragg, NC, 1968-1969

18 - Medical Discharge due to combat wounds, (3 PH, CIB w/ 2 stars, 3
BZM's, etc.
some 25 medals and unit ribbons)

I also have many "classified photos and documents/orders; one that he
wrote, "Cuban Missile Problem", SF para jump into Athens, Greece with
Major
George Fussell, weapons expert and later with intelligence in VN and
Middle East.
Also have recorded stories of dad in civilian clothes with false
papers
and ID gathering intelligence in East Berlin, (buried gold and machine
guns),
and CIA run Laos White Star as civilian construction worker.
Col. Beckwith says of dad in his book, "Delta Force", "I trusted my
life with my own sergeant major, Bill DeSoto. I was glad he was along for
the ride". Dad and Charlie led two columns in to rescue Plei Me.
There is a great article about this in Oct, (I think), 1984 issue of
Soldier of Fortune magazine.

Dear Sir,

I recently came across your site detailing the information and history
behind the M1-Garand rifle, and felt compelled to write.

I have an interest in history, and in WWII specifically, it being a conflict
in which relatives of my own (now sadly passed on) have served in. I think
it is a good thing that sites such as yours exist, so as to contribute to
the preservation of history - I am especially glad to see such a wealth of
information on the M1, since it is a rifle of amazing design and was no
doubt instrumental in securing victory for the Allied forces.

With the greatest of respect, however, there is one element to your site
which unsettles me, somewhat. There is a tangible element of bias to your
written introduction; an inference that the War can be viewed as simply as
Good vs. Evil. Obviously the Germans were indeed the aggressors and Nazism
is a flawed and biggoted doctrine, but I find it somewhat distastefull that
you refer the Axis Forces as a 'Nazi Scourge,' and indeed that you shy from
using the terms 'Axis' or 'German' and instead you refer to them wholly as
'Nazis'.

I think it is a fair assumption that not everyone fighting on the side of
German held firm Nazi beliefs, and that many of them were simply honest men
caught up in a War they had no control over. Atrocities were commited on
both sides and that in itself is testimony that the true 'evil' during the
Second World War was that of the War itself, and through it, the loss of
millions of lives.

I am sure that had they have been born into more peacefull times, there
would have been many Germans who would otherwise had led good and fruitfull
lives and to refer to these ones as a 'Scourge' does them a discourtesy.

I think it is important for sites with an historic relevance to avoid being
swayed by bias and propaganda, and instead that information is presented
clearly and accurately allowing the reader to summise their own conclusions.

I simply wanted to share my thoughts with you and would hope that my
constructive criticism proves to be of some interest. As mentioned, I have
very much enjoyed the majority of content on your site and wish you the very
best in your continuing endeavours.

Regards,

Dr Graham D. Pilling,
United Kingdom.

I am a Huge US history buff. I love it! I also love guns and rifles and by far my favorite rifle is the .30cal M1 Garand. I truly believe we would be speaking German today had it not been for this most exceptional rifle!

P.S
Modesto, CA

A gun collector has made me a offer for my Springfield 30-06 Garand. I paid $400.00 and he offered $600.00.Is it possible to find the History of this Modele that I have? After he inspected it he wrote the serial # down and then offered me $600.00. I have found a web site that told me it was made in 1944. I fired it once only to find that the barrel threads that hold the front sight and forearm on were striped and he new this. After firing it I found the sight and forearm on the ground. Sounds like ther might be some history to this modle.

Hi, Sgt Foster --- I have to write to say that I agree with Dr. Pilling of the UK. I knew a german WW2 vet who was drafted in 1943, along with his brother. Although they were full brothers, Dieter (not his real name) was dark haired and average-featured. His brother was blond and blue-eyed with a perfectly straight nose. Neither had any Nazi inclinations. Dieter was impressed into the Wermacht, while his brother , because of his physical appearance, was more or less forced into the SS. It wasn't a political issue for either of them. They were simply fighting for Germany's survival, no matter who started the whole mess. By some miracle both of them survived the war, Deiter surviving years in a Russian extermination camp after the war ended. He was one of less than 100 still alive, out of an original camp population of around 5,000, when the camp was closed and the survivors sent to West Germany. This is something that did politicize Dieter. He said he had no hatred for Russians. But he had an absolute hatred for Communists and Nazis..... . Some say that Germans deserved to die because they elected Hitler. That's like saying 55,000 Americans deserved to die in Vietnam because Democrats elected Lyndon Johnson, who promised peace, safety, and a "Great Society", and no Vietnam. Most of the world's populations are merely the pawns (victims) of the self-declared 'Elite' and thier stooges. Dennis

Congratulations on your excellent website. I served in the US Army (82nd Airborne and 5th Special Forces Group) during the early 1980’s. We were of course issued the M16A1, which I always thought was a frail weapon in an inadequate caliber. We constantly had problems with M16 barrels bending on jumps. At one point the IG (Inspector General) informed us that over half of the rifles in our company arms room had bent barrels. I doubt we would have had any such problems with the M1! I have acquired two M1 Garands, one an arsenal rebuild Springfield and the other a CMP Springfield. The CMP piece I sent to Eric Pierce, a truly excellent riflesmith in Texas who I recommend highly. Eric did a splendid job of rebuilding my M1 into a National Match version, and it will now group 8 rounds in less than one inch from a solid rest at 100 yards. Eric’s company is called National Match Armory and he has a nice website as well.

My 2 Garands are both excellent shooters—I enjoy them immensely. In all my reading on he subject of the “U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30 M1 Garand” I have never been able to determine the correct pronunciation of “Garand”. I have heard it several ways—can you or any of your contributors straighten me out on this question?

Many thanks,

Matt

Garand 'rubber duck' army training rifles

Dear Sir,

You appear to be an authority on M1 Garands. I am the curator of a collection in Hong Kong and came across your link. I am wondering if you have you have any information regarding US army training rubber Garands? We are acquiring a solid rubber rifle purportedly from FT BENNING, GA, ARMY BASE, used for training. It does look like a Garand, and has an open area atop at the breech, perhaps for loading practice. Were these official issue, when and to what extent, what is currently availability/value? Thank you in advance for any info.

Kindest regards,
Vince Wong
Hong Kong Gun Museum
replicarms@lycos.com

I've been reading the letters posted to your site in an attempt to educate myself about the M1. I am an Army veteran, and long time war history buff. I have been a shooter all my life and for the past three years searching the web for a WWII generation M1. Recently I was in a local gun shop to buy cleaning supplies and noticed an M1 on the wall for sale.

It looked to be a reproduction because it looked new. I had done a lot of research on manufacturers and such, and to my surprise found this M1 to be the buy of my gun collecting history. It turned out to be a Springfield Armory M1, the parts were sequentially numbered and the serial number search showed the gun to have been made in 1943. Its been like a history lesson just learning about M1 rifles.

I have fired all kinds of military weapons, but after firing this gun for the first time with 8 round clips, was like being propelled into the past and a WWII battle, hearing that ping as the clip ejected.

I'm hooked and display it on my den wall sporting a 10" bayonet when not firing it. I look forward to putting thousands of rounds through my M1.

Regards,
Fellow Garand owner
Ken, Washington State

You have a great web site. Your passion for the M1 comes through crystal clear. I just purchased my first M1, it doesn't have the history that yours does, it is Springfield Armories D-Day commemorative, number 624 of 1944. I am going to the NRA range this weekend to shoot it, can't wait. No rifle or pistol should just be put on display, they have a sole, and that only comes to life when it is doing what it was designed to do.
Thank you and your fellow soldiers for keeping us safe, like our soldiers have done since this country was started. Those of us that can call ourselves citizens of the United States of America pledge allegiance to the flag. This is what separates us from the rest of the world. Long may it wave!
My father had 2 brothers, 1 was with Patton in Italy, he was in a jeep when it ran over a tank mine. He survived but was sent home. The other was with the Army Air Corps, he was a machinist and never saw a shot fired in anger, he re machined B-17 engines. He did witness the start of one of the thousand plane raids, he said the earth shook, and the sky was darkened with all the four engine bombers. My father graduated from the Naval Academy and worked for NACA at Langley Field, VA. designing sea planes. My mother redesigned land based planes to survive water landings with out killing everyone. Those were hard times and everyone could not pick up a gun and fight, but without all the people working behind the lines with dedication, and love for their country we would have lost that war. After all, Hitler had slaves, and pow's working for him!
Vietnam was my war, I didnot burn my draft card or run away to canada, but I was never called. I am so glad that the vets from that war are finally getting the respect that they deserve.
I am retired now, so I thank you, and your fellow solders again for keeping me safe in the best country in the world.

Tom

I purchased my first M1 Garand in the early 80s. At one family get
together my two brothers, and three of our cousins had an informal
shooting match Each on of us had a different type of rifle. It was the
first opportunity I had to shoot the rifle. Our target was a head sized
piece of sandstone about 150 yards away. I was the last to shoot
because I wasn't sure about the rifle. I watched as my brothers and
cousins shot each coming close to the rock but missing. The last GI
that carried that rifle knew what he was doing when he zeroed it because
I knocked dust off that rock with every shot I fired.
A few years later I turned 21 and became a sheriff's deputy. Agency
policy at that time allowed us to carry a personally owned rifle as long
as it met a standard. I decided to put my all time favorite rifle the
M1 back into service. I took some ribbing when I carried that rifle on
to the firing range. There were several AR 15s and Mini 14 rifles in
.223. Even the firearms instructor borrowed a line from the movie
Police Academy by saying "where did you get that? Your momma give it to
you?" However, after I fired the first 30-06 round all that changed.
The M1 was as accurate as any rifle on the range that day, and much more
powerful. I carried that rifle on duty for several years, and since I
worked in a mostly rural area I usually carried the M1 rather than a
shotgun when extra fire power was needed. There were many times I was
thankful to have a weapon so dependable and powerful when the situation
suddenly became desperate and the closest back up was thirty minutes
away. There are times when you just have to take care for business.
I have since retired my M1 and I have other rifles but the M1 is still
my favorite.

God bless our veterans and John Garand.

Lincoln

My name is SSgt Aquino and I’m a part of the 78TH Services Base Honor Guard. We have original M-1 Garand stocks and was curious about the history behind them. We figured out what the letters mean, but there is a stamp w/ cross cannons in a loop or circle. I was thinking it may be an English depot refurbishment logo. If u have any clues please let me know. And if there is a web site we can look at for them

Thank you,

-SSgt Aquino
Rodney.Aquino@robins.af.mil

Read more thoughts on the M1 Garand from visitors: Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |

I really appreciate your thoughts, comments and questions regarding the M1 Garand, your heroes, World War II, the Korean War, or anything else this page encompasses. Also...if you can help any of our fellow enthusiasts with their questions it would be greatly appreciated.

Please email comments to S.Foster@us.army.mil

Thank you.

Sergeant Foster