published 28 August 2017
Words and photographs by guest contributor Dean Laubach.
Photographer and Marine Corps researcher Dean Laubach assists several NGOs and non-profits dedicated to preserving the history of the Corps in World War II. These include 5th Marine Division Association and the US Marine Raider Association.
I have had a camera in my hand for as long as I can remember – but attending and documenting Major Norman Hatch’s final journey at Arlington was an experience that defies words. His photographic legacy filled the history books for my generation, that we might know first-hand the stories of Marines who fought on Tarawa and Iwo Jima.
In the many years of his distinguished life, Major Hatch staunchly advocated for the legacy of his fellow Marines. The images below now preserve a chapter of his own legacy: the day he was laid to rest alongside fellow Marines on our nation’s most hallowed ground.
Major Norman Hatch is buried in Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery, alongside the recently repatriated Marines that perished in the battle of Tarawa.
Read more from Dean in “A Hero’s Farewell,” published in the Alexandria Gazette Packet of 24 August 2017.
All photographs are copyrighted material, and are published by permission. No part of this article may be reproduced without the express permission of Dean Laubach. Contact Dean