Description:

ADMIRAL JOHN S. MCCAIN, SR. DOCUMENT AND RELIC GROUPING
A superb archive of material related to Admiral JOHN S. MCCAIN, SR. (1884-1945) U.S. Navy admiral and pioneer of aircraft carrier operations who commanded all land-based aviation at Guadalcanal and later the Fast Carrier Task Force, which launched devastating raids against Japanese forces in the Philippines, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the home islands throughout the final chapter of the war. The archive centers on two extremely important relics from the admiral, whose influence in the war cannot be overstated: his personally-owned and worn dress belt and buckle, and his original belt buckle bearing the name of the ship he commanded, the USS BONHOMME RICHARD. The dress belt is made of navy blue wool with five embroidered gold stripes, gold plated brass hardware, and closes with a locking gold plated buckle featuring the U.S. eagle insignia. The USS BONHOMME RICHARD belt buckle is crafted in silver-plated base metal, with an embossed image of the LHD 6 ship. Both relics are in very good condition. THE USS BONHOMME RICHARD was the last of the Essex class carriers completed in time to serve in what would be the final campaigns of the Pacific Theatre. She was launched in November 1944 by McCain, and served with the 3rd Fleet during air strikes against Japan. Also included is a large archive of supporting materials, including: over 60 World War II-date photographs, most in 8 x 10 in. b/w format, showing McCain with politicians, officers and dignitaries of the day. Of particular note are photographs of McCain with Harry S. Truman, Vice Admiral William F. Halsey, Admiral Ernest J. King, Admiral Aubrey B. Fitch, Commander John F. Thach, Rear Admiral Frederick C. Sherman, Admiral Charles R. ‘Cat' Brown, Admiral Marc Andrew ‘Pete' Mitscher, Secretary of the Navy John L. Sullivan, Rear Admiral William N. Leonard, Admiral Felix Stump, Admiral Jerauld White, Captain Frederick Ceres, and others. Other images include McCain inspecting the work of two WAVES, visiting the Yokosuma Naval Base, receiving a citation at the White House, and the launching of the USS BONHOMME RICHARD. Another image shows McCain's widow with a bottle of champagne and wreath at the christening of the USS JOHN S. MCCAIN (DL-3/DDG-36), the second Mitscher-class destroyer, commissioned in 1953. Of particular note is the famous image of William Halsey presenting McCain with the Navy Cross on the flight deck of USS Hancock at anchor in the Ulithi Lagoon, Caroline Islands, 30 Nov 1944. Also included are two S.Ps. 8 x 10 in. each, showing McCain with Santa Monica politicians: Mayor EDMOND S. GILLETTE, Commissioner of Public Works WILLIAM W. MILLIKEN, and Commissioner of Finance EDWARD D. PLUMER. One image signed by both, the other by Gillette alone. WITH: six A.Ls.S. by McCain to various family members, 1-2pp. 4to each, on United States Pacific Fleet Second Carrier Task Force letter, ca. end of 1944. These personal and intimate letters show McCain's humor in the midst of the madness of the war. He mentions on Dec. 22, 1944: ‘we had a good war the middle of the month'. In another letter to his wife, McCain mentions his difficulty with alcohol: ‘About my liquor, you'll have lots of friends as long as it lasts, so every time a little goes just replace it…Right now feel like four cases wouldn't last 4 weeks…I'm glad you stopped drinking…[Dec. 26] I awaited until Xmas a hell of an effort being the [?] day to open presents, made a respectable showing at breakfast…Thanks to one and all…'. He also sends words of love to his children Gordon, Jim and Mary. WITH: an original Western Union telegram sent from San Diego, Nov. 14 [1942], directed to McCain's wife: ‘Our commissioning ceremonies have been set for three o'clock on Sunday twenty six November X We sincerely hope that our sponsor will be able to participate. WITH: an original copy of the booklet entitled ‘The Trip', which outlines the visit that Assistant Secretary of the Navy JOHN L. SULLIVAN made to McCain in 1945, where he was welcomed and hosted by McCain on the USS SHANGRI LA. It was during this trip that Sullivan was sworn-in to the Naval Office as a civilian, the only one to have done so aboard a ship in an active war zone. The commemorative booklet is plastic spiral bound, 34pp. 4to., and contains a superbly-detailed account by Sullivan, as well as images reproduced from the original photographs contained in this archive. It also contains a T.L.S. by Sullivan 1p. 8vo., on his secretarial letterhead sending the booklet to McCain, affixed to the verso of the front cover. WITH: a copy of the ‘Minutes of the Press Conference with Vice Admiral John S. McCain, USN, Commander, Second Carrier Task Force', Mar. 1, 1945. Upon his return from the Pacific, McCain, with Commander Thach, answers a series of questions about the most recent events of the war, including details about the Japanese abilities to camouflage planes, losses incurred, and candid comments such as: ‘The Japs have sacrificed the human element in building their planes. We build ours to protect the pilot; the Japs care northing for the lives of their flyers'. In response to a question about the Second Battle of the Philippines, McCain modestly states: ‘[The Japanese] fleet suffered terrifically in that fight…The are, in our opinion, eliminated as a first class Naval power…The escort carriers put up a great fight…I don't claim credit. The southern Jap unit hit at Suriago Strait on the 24th Admiral Halsey discovered the enemy's northern carrier forces…Our escort carriers fought so furiously the Japs assumed that they were a larger force…I don't claim credit by any means…'. McCain and Thach also explain to the press the use of single seat ‘dive bombers': ‘We put a bomb on every fighter. If they sight enemy aircraft in the air, enough of them can drop their bombs to clean up and the others can go on. They don't need cover. They don't have to make up their minds and drop the bomb until the last minute…single seaters have flown our longest strikes…'. McCain concludes the conference by stating: ‘This is the worst war in all history. Our objective is still the same as it was on December 7th: kill or be killed. Just because we are fighting in their backyard instead of our own, does not change the objectives of this war. No Jap I've ever heard of deserves to live. Everyone who has fought out there hates the Jap. It is not the nature of an American pilot to hate anyone but those who have come in contact with the Jap, hate him. I've always considered it a mark of inferiority to hate, but damn it all I hate the Japs'. WITH: an intriguing Japanese medal with backstory related to McCain. The medal was bestowed to a Japanese soldier after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident (or ‘China Incident') which ignited the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937. The bronze medal is imprinted with the text in Japanese: ‘Active Service War Medal' on one side and ‘The China Incident' on the verso. It is attached to a colorful satin ribbon and presented in the original case. The medal is accompanied by a copy of a press release, Sept. 18, 1943, with the title ‘CAPTURED JAPANESE MEDAL WILL BE RETURNED TO JAPAN WITH A BOMB'. The text continues: ‘This pledge was made today to an unknown American soldier by Vice Admiral John S. McCain, U.S. Navy, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Air). The unknown solder [subsequently identified as Lieutenant Commander Eynon, who was stationed in China in 1937] collected the medal then sent it to Vice Admiral McCain with a request that it be dropped ‘right back where it came from' and that it ride ‘on a big aerial bomb to even the score…'. Finally, the archive includes newspaper clippings collected by McCain's wife over the years and a portrait of the McCains at a restaurant with another couple. Purchased by our consignor directly from the McCain family.

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April 26, 2024 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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