World War II veteran and Marine Corps tank driver Leighton Willhite was reunited with the M4A3 Sherman tank, “Lucky,” the very tank that he drove during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
The reunion took place on Aug. 15 - the 80th anniversary of the Japanese surrender - at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Dumfries, Virginia.
“It’s amazing,” Willhite said in Stars and Stripes. “I never thought I would see the tank again. That tank was my life.”
He added that if the tank was in good shape, he would fire it up again.
According to a museum release, Willhite was 19 when he drove Lucky ashore at Red Beach 2 with the 5th Tank Battalion during the assault in 1945.
"Lucky," with the serial number 49617, represented the Marine Corps’ newest standard tank and was making its combat debut on Iwo Jima.
During intense combat around Hill 362A, north of Mount Suribachi, "Lucky" and her crew were supporting infantry units when they took part in life-saving rescue efforts. When another tank, "Jeannie,” became trapped, Willhite volunteered to cover his tank commander, Lt. Leonard Blake, as they moved to assist the stricken crew. This act of bravery earned Willhite the Bronze Star with valor and Blake the Silver Star.
"Lucky" was returned to Hawaii in April 1945 and was among the 72 tanks selected for conversion into CB-H5 flamethrower tanks in preparation of the planned invasion of mainland Japan.
After Japan’s surrender that August, "Lucky" was on the move to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where it remained largely unnoticed for nearly 60 years. That was, until the early 2000s, when it entered the museum’s collection. But even at the time, its historical significance was not yet known.
That changed in June 2023, when the museum’s arms & armor curator traveled to the Pima Air& Space Museum to inspect the tank. By climbing aboard and analyzing its weld scars and field modifications, he was able to positively identify the tank as part of C Company, 5th Tank Battalion. Paint excavation later revealed the original name and C Company’s tactical markings, confirming its battlefield role and linking it to its original unit and crew.
"Lucky" is now one of only six confirmed Iwo Jima Sherman tanks in existence.
“I hope that folks that serve in the Marine Corps are differently inspired by this,” said Keil Gentry, director at the NMMC, told Stars and Stripes. “Those who have not served in the Marine Corps, I think this is a great way to talk about the veteran service and sacrifice.”
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.