ALS. 2pg. 6” x 9 ½”. October 23, 1942. Fargo, North Dakota. An autograph letter signed “Robert E. Living” on “Officer Candidate School No. 1” letterhead: “…We got up at 5:00 a.m. and are on the ‘go’ continually till 11:00 p.m….We double time (run) every where we go and I have lost 12 lbs since starting…It is a hard grind, but the reward that is waiting is worth it…They have a demerit system here and everyone had to be on his toes…one of the candidates got a demerit for leaving the top off his tooth paste last week…I am the Battalion adjutant this week, 2nd in Command of the Battalion. I consider it an honor indeed to have this position of ‘trust’ immediately after arriving at the school…”. There are two mailing folds.

ALS. 4pg. 6” x 9 ½”. November 7, 1942. Fargo , North Dakota. An autograph letter signed “Bob” on “Officer Candidate School No. 1” letterhead: “…I am enclosing a insignia patch and the N.D. Agr College Paper…The Patch that I am enclosing has quite a history…The shape of it triangle mean that it is a triangle division; the II means 2nd Armored Corps; the tank means tank corps, the streak of lightning means blitz army – something in the order of the German Storm Troopers only three times as deadly. The Red colors stand for C.A. Coast Artillery; Blue color infantry; Yellow color Cavalry. The summary of the Patch is ‘The 2nd armored corps, Tank Blitzers…It is quite a famous corps. General Patton the greatest fighting general the Army has commanded it when it was evacuated last year…What I am telling you is sort of semi confidential, don’t print it in the school paper…I am going on a twenty mile march this morning. Don’t you wish you were here???????????” There are two mailing folds and the original mailing envelope is included.

AN ATTRACTIVE PATRIOTIC FAN FROM WORLD WAR II

(WORLD WAR II PATRIOTIC FAN).  Fan. No date [early 1940s]. Madison, Wisconsin.  A World War II patriotic fan showing the Statue of Library overlooking a ferocious eagle.  There is a solo fighter plane and a squadron of planes near the statue.  The left panel states “Give us peace and liberty” and the other “Let the land we love be free”.  There is light waterstaining to the side of the right panel, and it opens easily.  It was printed by the Joyce Funeral Home of Madison, Wisconsin and this is published on the back.

TLS. 1pg. 7 ¼” x 10 ½”. 21 July 1947. San Francisco. A typed letter signed “Mark W. Clark” on his “Headquarters Sixth Army” letterhead. He wrote to a South Bend, Indiana man that “…I am happy to autograph the block of stamps as you have requested. It is a pleasure to contribute to your collection.” The letter has some heavy folds, but a dark autograph; the original envelope accompanies it.

WILLIAM “BULL” HALSEY (1882-1959).  Halsey was an American fleet admiral during World War II.

PS. 8” x 10”. No date. No place.  A black and white studio photograph signed “W.F. Halsey” to the left of his right eye.  The autograph is light and the photograph is in fine condition.

JAPANESE GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT SIGNED BY WORLD WAR II EMPEROR HIROHITO

HIROHITO (1901-1989). Hirohito was the 124th Emperor of Japan from 1926 until his death in 1989.

DS. 4pgs. 13” x 9”. 1981. Tokyo.  A document signed with his ink symbols on a cardstock bifold.  The Japanese document translates as: “To His Excellency Mr. President of the Republic of Bolivia…Desiring to maintain and tighten the bounds of friendship and good terms existing so fortunately between Japan and the Republic of Bolivia, the Japanese Government has chosen Mr. Toru Yoshimizu as Extraordinary and plenipotentiary Ambassador of Japan to our Excellency. We are pleased to attest such by the present letters, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of Japan. Mr. Toru Yoshimizu, with his integrity, his talents and his devotion, will know to carry out his honorable mission in such a way that he will merit favorable consideration and trust from Your Excellency. We beg Your Excellency to grant whole credence to all he will set out to you in the name of Japan. We take this opportunity to express to our Excellency our ardent wishes for His personal happiness and for the prosperity of His Country”. The document is also signed by the seal of Prime Minister Zenko Suzuki and Foreign Secretary, and future Prime Minister, Kichi Miyazawa. Most know that Emperor Hirohito, despite serving as Emperor of Japan during Japanese imperial expansion and World War II, was allowed to remain in power during the Allied occupation in exchange for renouncing his divinity. However, Hirohito’s reign over Japan actually extended another four decades after the war until his death in 1989, and he played a crucial role in reintegrating a modernized Japan into the international community. This included establishing economic and political relations with numerous Western nations, Bolivia amongst them. By 2017, trade between Bolivia and Japan totaled $913 million, and three presidents of Bolivia would travel to Japan. Ironically, Bolivia had its own military junta in 1981 when this document was sent. A typed French and English translation of the document, as well as a typed translation utilizing Japanese characters, are included. This is a rare autograph of the Emperor and the document is in very fine condition.

A TYPED THANK YOU LETTER SIGNED BY DOUGLAS MACARTHUR IN 1956

DOUGLAS MACARTHUR (1880-1964). MacArthur served as the 1st Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers from 1945 to 1951.

TLS. 1 pg. 8” x 10”. February 15, 1956. N.p. A typed letter signed “Douglas MacArthur” to “Mr. and Mrs. Donald McLeod and Family”: “Dear Friends: Thank you for your birthday greeting. I appreciate your thoughtfulness more than I can say”. This letter was sent after General Douglas MacArthur’s long and distinguished military career that culminated in his controversial firing as leader of the United Nations command in Korea in 1951. After his firing, MacArthur and his wife spent their last years together in the penthouse of the Waldorf Towers in New York City. Every year on his January 26^th birthday, the hotel would be the site of a party thrown by his former deputy chief engineer, Major General Leif J. Sverdrup (1898-1976). Most likely, the McLeod’s were friends unable to attend that year’s festivities or previously unknown admirers. The letter is in excellent condition and includes the original envelope.