Fifth Marine Division

Special Footage

Iwo Jima

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Private First Class Victor E. Brunelle
[Pending]

This appears to be footage of Private 1st Class (Pfc.) Victor E. Brunelle, soldier in the foreground, assisting a member of C Company, 5th Medical Battalion, 5th Marine Division with a wounded soldier on February 19, 1945 (D-Day) in Iwo Jima.

Note: It’s not completely clear if the soldier taking notes is Victor Brunelle, as he does not have the same gear (e.g. M1 Carbine) on his back as does the soldier lifting the wounded soldier’s leg. Although it does appear that he’s holding the pad of “tickets” used by the soldier taking notes. Either the soldier taking notes was a Corpsman (medic) or it was Victor and there was a small break in filming in which he put on his additional gear.

There are several indicators that the soldier in this video is, indeed, Victor E. Brunelle.

1) The video description, title, “United States Marines being treated by 5th Medical Battalion corpsmen in Iwo Jima, Japan during World War II”, and markers in the video indicate that this is footage of the 5th Marine Division AND, according to The Spearhead (page 319), Victor E. Brunelle was in the 31st Replacement Battalion of the 5th Marine Division.

2) The last name on the soldier’s pants is clearly “Brunelle” (see screenshot below) AND, according to The Spearhead, there was only one soldier with the last name of Brunelle in the 5th Marine Division – Victor E. Brunelle.

According to page 196 of The Spearhead, Victor E. Brunelle was wounded in action (WIA).

Video sources:
1) http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675059747 @ 00:10
Note: I am not, in any way, affiliated with CriticalPast.com.

2) https://youtu.be/M6DUtQI7Ey8?t=10s

Research sources:
1) The Spearhead – The World War II History of the 5th Marine Division.
2) Ancestry.com

This is a screenshot from a portion of the previous footage.

The previous footage shows two sets of soldiers laying on the ground. The soldier closest to the camera in the first set does not have an M1 Carbine on his back as did Victor E. Brunelle earlier in the footage. The soldier closest to the camera in the second set does have an M1 Carbine and is next to the wounded soldier from earlier in the footage.