PRESIDENT HERBERT HOOVER - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 09/15/1930 - HFSID 49515

HERBERT HOOVER
Six and a half months before it was disbanded, President praises Destroyer Squadron Fourteen.
Typed Letter Signed: "Herbert Hoover" as 31st U.S. President, 1p, 8x10½. The White House, Washington, 1930 September 15. To Captain L.R. Leahy, U.S. Navy, Navy Recruiting Bureau, New York. In full: "It has come to my attention that Destroyer Squadron Fourteen, while under your command, has attained the highest merit in Battle Efficiency of any destroyer squadron. As Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, I am greatly pleased with this conspicuous evidence of efficiency of Destroyer Squadron Fourteen, and I desire to express the highest praise of the effective manner in which you, and the officers and crews of the vessels of your command, performed their assigned duties." Destroyer Squadron Fourteen began as a reserve organization in November 1920 in Philadelphia. Captain L.R. LEAHY was its Commander from July 1928 until May 1930, when he was succeeded by Captain William F. (Bull) Halsey, who later became Fleet Admiral. On April 1, 1931, just six and a half months after its commander was praised by President Hoover in this letter, Destroyer Squadron Fourteen was disestablished. On August 18, 1942, the Squadron was reestablished as a unit in the Pacific Fleet and performed duty in the Aleutian Area. Today, Destroyer Squadron 14 is known as COMDESRON 14 and, in 2001, is conducting several independent deployment training exercises, leading the U.S. force during the Atlantic Phase of UNITAS 42-01. The UNITAS deployment is a four-month exercise that began in 1959. The exercise, involving the participation of South American countries, runs each year between July and December. Typical operations involve a combined U.S. and South American Navy/Marine battalion-sized landing. Every other year, the deployment also travels to South Africa. Creased, horizontal fold touches flourish of "r" in Hoover. Paper clip impression in upper left margin, stray ink marks in blank left margin. Lightly shaded.