George J. Baird was born on 18 March 1921, in Pennsylvania. He was inducted into the U.S. Marines in January 1942 in Cleveland, Ohio. Baird was a rifleman with the 3rd Defense Battalion, 1st Marine Division in the Pacific Theater. He was stationed at Guadalcanal, and Okinawa. Baird was wounded during the invasion of Guadalcanal in late 1942 and later worked in the post office until his discharge in 1946. Collection includes photocopies of two manuscripts detailing his experiences overseas. The first volume chronicles the battle at Okinawa that he took part in and his service history. It also includes pictures of the invasion and fighting in Guadalcanal. The second volume includes his time at Guadalcanal and other experiences such as kamikaze attacks and seeing Pearl Harbor shortly after it was bombed. This volume also contains Baird's account of the pilot's reaction after the second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Both volumes include photocopies of pictures taken during his service along with the location and name of camps he was stationed in. George J. Baird was in the U.S. Marine Corps in the PTO (specifically Guadalcanal). He worked as a telephone linesman and operator. In November 1942, he was promoted to Private First Class, and in November 1944, was promoted again to Staff Sergeant. He was awarded the Purple Heart on October 13, 1942. This 260 page collection includes documentation of his decorations and promotions, many news articles concerning Guadalcanal, as well as many KIA/MIA articles about Clevelanders (his hometown), many photographs (photocopies), from Guadalcanal -- of G.I.'s, locals, Japanese currency, New Zealanders, bands, women, bases, and group photos of his unit. Also, there are many letters from his wife and his mother. Collection also includes some items taken from killed Japanese prisoners (maps, foldouts).
