A Marine acquired a duck in the Netherlands during the 1940s by winning it in a poker game against locals.
Posted by Bodhi Garrison, Checked
- Sources
- 1 contradict1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 60%
The Mental Floss article independently documents a Marine mascot duck named Siwash that was supposedly won in a poker game and served at Tarawa, which supports the poker-and-duck core. However, it places the poker game in New Zealand, not the Netherlands, which contradicts the claim's location. The TruthScope transcript merely repeats the post and cannot corroborate it.
A detail. The sources confirm the gist; the verdict faults a detail such as a date, number or wording.
What was said
In the 1940s, a young Marine was in the Netherlands getting ready to go into the Pacific theater to fight. And in the Netherlands, he was at a bar, and they were playing poker. And the Marines won all the money from the locals. And locals were like, it. Here's my prize duck, and put it in the middle of the table. He's like, all right, I'm gonna win this duck. So he wins a duck, right? And they end up. They end up. Imagine just being like. So obviously this dude's like. The Marines are like, yeah, we'll take that duck. E4. E3, Lance Corporal. Somewhere right around there, right? And he's like, I got this pet D. Duck. …
What we found
Contradicts. The same Mental Floss passage says the poker game took place in New Zealand, not the Netherlands as the claim states.[1]
Supports. Mental Floss reports that the First Battalion of the Tenth Marine Regiment acquired a duck named Siwash as a mascot, and that a Marine supposedly won the duck in a poker game.[1]
Supports. Mental Floss says Siwash accompanied the Marines to the 1943 Battle of Tarawa and fought a Japanese rooster, consistent with the post's account of the duck's wartime service.[1]
Context. The TruthScope transcript repeats the post's wording, including the Netherlands location, but cites no independent record, so it provides no corroboration.[2]
Context. No source in the set independently confirms the 1940s date or the Netherlands location of the poker game.[1][2]
Sources
2 sources: 2 not rated
- 18 War Heroes That Were Real Animals - Mental Flossmentalfloss.com · not rated · cited for: contradicts, supports, context
- 2Duck Wins A Military Medalyoutube.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- A duck named Sergeant Sea Wash participated in four amphibious landings in the Pacific theater during World War II, including the Battle of Tarawa.True
- A duck named Sergeant Sea Wash received a military medal for fighting and defeating a Japanese rooster during an amphibious landing.True
- The caller's father served as a sergeant major in the Marine Corps for 24 years.Can’t tell