THE DUMAGUETE SERIES

ABOUT THE "G" COMPANY PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTIONS – In June 2000 Chet Nycum provided us with a series of photographs which we're using to illustrate  his (and other) articles.  Some of the images are unique, and a good number of them have also been seen in other people's collections as well.   Wherever I can, I use the best available image. (Some of the photos used are courtesy of Doyle Wester, whose father Emmett L. Wester was in "G" Co.) There's another series which was widely distributed,  it even came with a mimeographed title sheet, also originating within "G" Company.  This collection is available as the Frank Foster Collection, courtesy of Steve Foster  Why do so many men from "G" Co. 503d have similar photographs?  There's two explanations - firstly, and this is the case with almost every military unit, when they could, the men acquired multiple prints, and traded images amongst themselves. Secondly (and more importantly) there was an informal arrangement to establish a photograph collection which could be made available to  the men within "G" Co.  How did this come about?

Chet Nycum explains that he'd acquired a number of  captured cameras and would use them to take photos, until the film ran out.  He'd then discard the camera and acquire  another.  One of "G" Company's other men, Mike Levack, had experience as a photographer and was returning to the US.  

Chet takes up the story.  "Mike Levack was a keen photographer, and when we jumped on Corregidor, for example, Mike initially did not jump - he had been given permission to take photographs of the jump from the aircraft. He took some of the most spectacular photographs of the jump.  I arranged with Mike that we should pool our negatives  to make prints, so that anyone from "G" Company could get whatever copies they wanted. " "So we pooled our negatives.  Ultimately, I got my prints back, and other prints besides. But I was annoyed that Mike didn’t return  my negatives now we were home. I was seeking him out, when I discovered that he had been killed in a plane crash flying to Mexico on a photographic assignment. I never saw my negatives again. I thought he hadn’t kept up his end of the deal, but over the years I have discovered many of my photographs in other collections, so I am happy to see that he did. Consequently, there's a number of collections of photographs out there which include photos taken by me, photos taken by Mike Levack, and photos taken by some other men who might have had similar arrangements with Mike. "

For the full story ....