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This is the first page of a collection of 103
photographs (and
one cartoon) from the
personal photo album of Private
First Class William Edward
Plocharski (Planter) of the U.S. Marine
Corps, who took these photos
during his deployment in Las
Segovias, Nicaragua, over a
period of two years, from
January 1928 to December 1929
(after 1929 he changed his
surname to Planter, and
henceforth was known as William
Planter). (Right:
PFC William E. Plocharski,
somewhere in Las Segovias.)
The larger
photos were scanned in
high resolution (600 dpi). The smaller
photos (of individual pages of the photo
album) were taken at lower resolution but show
the captions, and for that
reason are included here.
For a full high-resolution image
of each photo, click on
the thumbnail image on the
right-hand side of each Photo ID banner.
The album contains 149
photos, 103 of which are
published here (plus
the cartoon; the
remainder would be of little
interest to historians of
Nicaragua). They are
presented in roughly the same
sequence as they appear in the
album; readers wishing to put
them in exact sequence are
invited to do so using the low
resolution photos of each of the
album's 60 or so pages,
immediately below.
Private Plocharski had a gift
for composition and for
capturing revealing moments
especially the unscripted,
everyday, ordered chaos of
military operations and the US
military intervention in Las
Segovias during these years
and of ordinary people doing
ordinary things. Some of
his photographs are true gems.
The collection has never been
published anywhere else.
I first learned of it in January
2018 thanks
to the kind courtesy of Private
Plocharski's (Mr. Planter's) daughter, Patricia
Barrow of Houston, Texas.
I thank Patricia Barrow and her
family for their generosity in
making these photographs
available and permitting their
publication here.
‘Gracias manνaca de historia Patricia!
Low-resolution images of all 60-some pages of
Pvt. Plocharski's photo
album (click on thumbnails for
larger images):
Inventory of Plocharski Photos
Housed on This Website (103
photos, 1 cartoon):
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1 |
"Marines Have Landed" (cartoon)
PFC Plocharski with two children
Traversing the Panama
Canal Unloading
rations from Fokker plane,
Apalν, Jan. 1928
Unloading rations from Fokker
plane, Apalν, Jan. 1928
"Perfect three point landing
Jalapa plains" Jinotega
PFC Wm. Sutherland,
Matagalpa, Nov. 1928
San Antonio, near the Honduran
border, Dec. 1929
Tuma, June 1928
PFC John Nuert, Matagalpa, Aug.
1928 Vigilantes on
patrol (1 cartoon, 11 photos)
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2 |
Coffee drying at Amort's Ranch,
Feb. 1929 Funeral
procession in Jinotega
Funeral procession in Jinotega
Panoramic view of Jalapa
Valley, July 1929
Rifle range outside Apalν, Feb.
1929 View of
Ocotal town center
House in Santa Clara
Mess line in Jalapa, March 1929
Three Marines posing by
small open-air barn
Three Marines posing next to
rural outbuilding (10 photos)
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3 |
Marine shaking hands with
mounted man in La Trinidad
Marine Corps camp
outside Apalν Dead
man lying next to footpath
Woman washing clothes in
river near Ocotal
Flurry of USMC activity in San
Albino Marines
posing outside headquarters of
8th Co., 5th Regt., Matagalpa
Marines in Dipilto
Main St. in Matagalpa
Marine Column leaving Ocotal
Silhouette of two Marine
privates playing war (10 photos)
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4 |
"Out in the hills"
Silhouette of Pvt. Bulger on
guard Pvt. Bulger
posing Ococona
(near the Honduran border)
Patrolling near the
Honduran border
"Starting on a new day"
"Tractors in Ocotal"
"Some of the boys," Ocotal, May
1929 San Fernando
(east of Ocotal)
San Fernando (10 photos)
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5 |
"Pvt. Heitzman and his friends"
Ocotal guard house, July
1928 Paved street
in Managua Marines
bathing in arroyo in Ococona
Bathing spot in arroyo
in Ococona "Bath a
la rock" "Camping
near Ocotal," May 1929
Marine in Ocotal
Pvts. Small, Hiebsz & Rogers, El
Jνcaro, May 1929
Marines with Browning Machine
Gun, Estelν, Feb. 1928
"Water house" on Lake Managua
"River ration patrol"
(12 photos)
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6 |
On patrol, March 1928
"River ration patrol"
"Getting an early start"
"In Dipilto Valley"
Plane crash, Estelν, March 1928
Marines posing with
aeroplane Bull
carts bringing in rations,
Estelν, Feb. 1928
"Some of the men who helped burn
Santa Marνa" "Some
of the men who helped burn Santa
Marνa" "Getting
another early start" (10 photos)
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7 |
Quilalν Jalapa
airfield, "Fokker bringing
rations" "46th Co.
getting some exercise"
Marines & locals by Fokker
aeroplane "Field
Day Campo de Marte"
"Wash Day Campo de Marte"
"Hospital Mess Hall"
(Managua) "North
gate Campo de Marte"
"One of the camping grounds"
"River ration patrol"
(10 photos)
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8 |
Liberal soldiers disarm after
Espino Negro, May 1927
Unknown event taking place in a
Segovian town 46th
Co. baseball team, Jalapa
"Calle leading to the
marine camp"
Baseball game, 46th vs. 52nd
Co., 11th Regt., Jalapa
"Crater, Lake Managua"
"52nd Co. leaving Jalapa"
Bullfight fiesta in
Jinotega "After
bombardment, Chinandega, Nic."
Church in Darνo (10
photos)
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9 |
Pvt. Mau hunting for deer
"Fokker bringing rations
to Jalapa" Fokker
in Jalapa taking off for Managua
"A banana patch"
USMC PFC William Sutherland
La Loma, Managua
Marines cleaning up equipment,
Matagalpa, Dec. 1928
River patrol, Rio Coco
Street scene, Matagalpa
Matagalpa (probably) (10 photos)
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10 |
"Marines on the trail, 1927"
Panorama of Matagalpa,
colorized Private
Plocharski
Privates Smith & Schleger lying
& smoking in tent
Marines with locals,
Honduras-Nicaragua border, March
1928 Horse
Marines, 52nd Co., 11th Regt.
"Squizzing sugar cane"
Uniforms worn by
Marines, 1775-1925
"Soldiers travel on their
stomachs"
"Nicaraguan plow" (10 photos)
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