The Coffee Photo That Survived the War.

Ninety-eight years old — and still holding the photograph that captured the moment he realized he was alive.

In the faded 1944 picture, Marine Private First Class Faris “Bob” Tuohy sits on the left, clutching a cup of hot coffee aboard the USS Arthur Middleton. His face is drained, shaken, and unmistakably human — a rare wartime image the censors allowed because it showed what combat really did to young men.

The photo was taken just after he survived the two-day battle for Engebi, part of the brutal fighting across the Eniwetok Atoll. His regiment — the independent 22nd Marines — killed more than 700 enemy defenders. Only nineteen surrendered. The rest died fighting.Continue reading…