Type 14 Nambu Pistol

Gift of Gordon and Mary Caldwell, 2012.356.001

Petty Officer 2nd Class Gordon Caldwell was serving onboard the USS Saratoga when the ship came under attack from a Japanese kamikaze during the Battle of Iwo Jima. Because the ship was locked down Caldwell could not reach his station, but he witnessed the kamikaze strike his battle station killing 11 of his shipmates. The dead kamikaze was found to have this pistol in his hand and as a token of the battle Caldwell was allowed to keep it.