The US Marine who fought with a GUN made from 3 GUNS!

Tony Stein, a young Jewish toolmaker from Dayton, Ohio, joined the US Marine Corps on September 22, 1942, just before turning 21. Despite his lack of formal education, he was known for his leadership and fearlessness, which were evident from his amateur boxing achievements and acts of bravery, such as saving a boy from drowning. His decision to enlist was influenced by his job as a tool and die maker, which was deemed essential for the war effort until it was removed from the exemption list. Stein then volunteered for the Marine paratroopers, known as the 'power Marines,' and was sent to the Pacific Theater to fight against the Imperial Japanese Army. He earned a reputation as a sniper exterminator during the Bougainville campaign. After marrying his girlfriend Joan, Stein was promoted to Corporal and reassigned to the 1st Battalion 28th Marines, participating in the amphibious landing at Iwo Jima. There, he was issued the experimental Stinger machine gun, which was a modified version of the ANM2 aircraft gun, designed to provide the Marines with a portable and rapid-fire weapon to support their fast-paced assaults.

The Stinger machine gun was an improvised weapon developed by Marines during World War II to address the lack of portable fire support. Initially, the US military used the M1919 Browning and the BAR light machine gun, but these had limitations in terms of weight, setup time, and rate of fire. Marines began modifying ANM2 aircraft guns, which were lighter and more powerful, into a field-tested version known as the Stinger. However, these early models were still awkward to deploy. During the Bougainville Island campaign, Marine Private William H Colby improved the Stinger by replacing its mount with a BAR bipod. Later, Lieutenant Gray and Sergeant Greenwich further refined the design by incorporating parts from three different weapons, including an M1 Garand stock, a new trigger, and a 100-round box magazine. The improved Stinger was lighter and could be used by a single soldier, but it had a tendency to overheat due to its high rate of fire. Only six of these improved Stingers were made and saw action at Iwo Jima, where Corporal Stein used his effectively, even being awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.

Corporal Tony Stein landed on the beaches of Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945, and played a crucial role in the assault. Despite losing his helmet and facing intense enemy fire, Stein used his Stinger machine gun to neutralize several enemy positions and was credited with killing at least 20 Japanese infantrymen. He made multiple trips back to the beachhead to resupply ammunition and assisted in carrying wounded soldiers. Stein's actions, including directing fire that led to the destruction of a stubborn enemy pillbox, earned him the Medal of Honor. His citation described the Stinger as a 'personally improvised aircraft type weapon.' Sadly, Stein was injured by a mortar fragment and later killed by a sniper while leading a rescue mission, making him one of the 7,000 US military personnel who lost their lives in the battle for Iwo Jima. His widow accepted his posthumous Medal of Honor, and in 1972, a US Navy Knox class frigate was named the USS Stein in his honor.