Lot 176

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Description:

UNIFORM AND ARCHIVE OF BRIG. GEN ARTHUR S. NEVINS, EISENHOWER'S STAFF OFFICER AND PERSONAL FRIEND
ARTHUR S. NEVINS (1891-1979) American brigadier general, brother of noted historian Allan Nevins. Joined the Army in 1917 and served under Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Philippines in the 1930s, later served as a staff officer to Eisenhower in G-3 Operations (Chief of Landing Operations), SHAEF. Nevins remained on Eisenhower's staff through all the major European campaigns, being awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star, Order of the British Empire, French Legion of Honor, Croix de Guerre, 1939, Netherlands Order of Orange-Nassau, Order of the Red Banner, Polish Order of Virtuti Militari, Italian Order of the Crown, Belgian Croix de Guerre with Palm, and many standard service metals. Leaving the Army in 1946, Nevins managed Eisenhower's farm at Gettysburg during the latter's administration of European NATO forces and during his presidency, then purchased an adjoining farm in 1961. The two remained close friends until Eisenhower's death in 1969. In 1977 Nevin's manuscript "Looking Back: Over More Than Fifty Years of Friendhip With General Eisenhower "was published under the title: Gettysburg's Five Star Farmer. An important group of relics and documents from Nevins' estate, including his war-era uniform consisting of : "Ike" jacket with brigadier general stars on the shoulders, SHAEF patch on left shoulder with six service stripes on sleeve, impressive ribbon bars and silver star lapel pin with Army eagle (unknown to us), rayon lining worn only at armpit; regulation wool trousers with canvas belt, maker label "The Friedman Co. MILITARY OUTFITTERS", Louisville; regulation green Army visored cap, size 7, leather sweatband marked: "Hygieaton" but otherwise no other maker noted, a few moth nips at top; "Liondale" regulation green wool shirt with shoulder epaulets and lined collar, a moth hole in sleeve and above fifth buttonhole; and beige tie, unmarked. Overall very good to fine condition. Also present is Nevins' personal 54 1/2" x 34" brigadier general's cotton flag composed of separate pieces of cloth sewn to form the Great Seal upon a blue star with a white (brigadier general's) star above, all on a field of yellow. Reinforced at two corners, white canvas reinforcement along the hoist. A little moth damage at one edge. Nevins' ephemera also includes some very interesting items: seven war-date passes issued to Nevins, including his SHAEF pass signed by him; tickets to inaugural festivities; a carbon copy of a 1951 letter setting forth payments Eisenhower had made to purchase his Gettysburg farm and equipment, two pages of wartime doodles made by an unidentified British general during a SHAEF meeting showing fighter planes, caricatures, etc; a 1955 letter from presidential secretary Ann Whitman: "...The President tells me that you and he have agreed that the proper name is to be the 'Eisenhower Farms'..."; six contact sheets of Eisenhower at a VFW function in Gettysburg; about a dozen photographs, various sizes, showing Eisenhower at various functions in the Gettysburg area and images of the famous Gettysburg Hotel; three A.L.S.s by MAMIE DOUD EISENHOWER, 16pp. 8vo., [n.p.], 1951-52, to Nevins and his wife, largely social content, news from her temporary home in Europe, decorating instructions for Gettysburg, etc.; a copy of the manuscript of Nevins' Gettysburg's Five Star Farmer, a copy of a 78pp. 4to. typed 1972 interview of Nevins by the Eisenhower Library; a signed copy of Nevins' book on Eisenhower, and other ephemera. Overall very good.

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May 8, 2012 11:00 AM EDT
Stamford, CT, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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