PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 05/11/1918 - HFSID 13247
Sale Price $1,195.00
Reg. $1,400.00
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
Franklin D. Roosevelt sends a typed letter during the war giving a
soldier a new assignment.
War-date Typed Letter Sigend: "Franklin D. Roosevelt" as
Acting Secretary of the Navy, 1p, 8x10½. Washington, 1918 May 11.
To Gunner John McNamara, U.S.N., U.S. Armed Draft Detail, New York, N.Y.
(Commandant, Navy Yard). In full: "Subject: Change of duty. 1. You
will regard yourself detached from your present station, and from such other
duty as may have been assigned you; will proceed and report for duty in
accordance with following instructions; this employment on shore duty being
required by the public interests. To Utica, N.Y., and on May 15, 1918, report to
the Officer in charge of works, Savage Arms Co., for duty under instruction in
the care, operation and management of machine guns at said works." Noted at
bottom: "(Confirming dispatch of May 9, 1918)/Copy to:/Bureau of
Ordnance". In lower right: "Supply Office/Armed Draft Detail/Paid $19.36
mileage 242 Miles/From Navy Yard, New York, N.Y./to Utica, New York",
signed: "W.D. Blaker" as Acting Pay Clerk for Assistant Paymaster E.N.
Littlefield (T), U.S. Navy. On verso: "Recieved (sic) at 9.45 am May
14, 1918/J. McNamara/Gunner (T) U.S.N./Marine Corps school of instruction,
Savage/Arms Corp. Utica, N.Y. May 16, 1918/1. Reported this date/Certified a
true copy/J. McNamara/Gunner (T) U.S.N." Instruction in the use of a
newly designed machine gun was needed after the United States entered World War
I on April 6, 1917. The Browning machine gun, developed by John M. Browning
and adopted by the U.S. Army in 1917, was a water-cooled, tripod-mounted, belt
feed machine gun. It operated by recoil force and fired at about 500 rounds a
minute. The original combat versions were .30 caliber. Over 68,000 were made
before the war ended. A .50 caliber version was also developed as an
anti-aircraft weapon in 1919 and later saw extensive use as an infantry support
and tank weapon. It is still in use in virtually every country in the world
today. Franklin D. Roosevelt was Wilson's Assistant Secretary of the Navy
from 1913-1920. When Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels was away from
Washington, FDR acted in his stead as evidenced by this order to Gunner John
McNamara. Roosevelt was an energetic and efficient administrator, specializing
in the business side of naval administration. His popularity, success in naval
affairs and his family name, resulted in his nomination in 1920 as the
Democratic nominee for Vice President. The Cox-Roosevelt ticket lost to
Harding-Coolidge in a landslide. Worn. Folds, horizontal fold touches top of "F"
in signature. Creased and lightly soiled. 2 file holes in blank upper margin
touch McNamara's notes. Blue receipt stamping at blank left margin. Tattered
lower left edge. Paper clip rust stain at upper left corner touches McNamara's
notes.
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