1953 St Patrick's Day photo shows US soldiers preparing Irish-decorated bomb

The US Army soldiers – originally from Sligo and Dublin – were fighting communists in Korea.

THE ORIGINAL CAPTION for this 16 March 1953 photo reads:

A St. Patrick’s Day treat in the form of an appropriately decorated 500-pound bomb has been prepared for the communists on March 16, 1953 in Korea by Sgt. Martin J. Marren, Jr., left, of Orange, New Jersey, formerly of County Sligo, Ireland.
Helping make the delivery will be radar operator T/Sgt. Thomas C. Rafferty, right, of Brooklyn, New York, formerly of Dublin, Ireland, who flies in the backseat of a Tigercat and is on his second combat tour in Korea. Both men are with the Marine Corps ‘Flying Nightmares’ an all-weather fighter squadron.

The decorated bomb features four shamrocks and the words, ‘Erin Go Bragh’.

From the photo archives: St Patrick’s Day 1954

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