LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2007 Apr Books, Manuscripts & Autographs #658  / 

25183

Eisenhower 1945 TLS Commending Vandenberg

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:6,250.00 USD Estimated At:25,000.00 - 35,000.00 USD
Eisenhower 1945 TLS Commending Vandenberg
<B>Dwight D. Eisenhower Typed Letter Signed</B></I> <I>"Dwight D. Eisenhower"</B></I> as Supreme Commander, July 13, 1945, one page, 7.5" x 9.75". Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF), Office of the Supreme Commander, Frankfurt, Germany , July 13, 1945. To <B>Lt. General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Commanding General, Ninth U.S. Air Force.</B></I> In part, "Dear Van: Combined Command terminates at midnight tonight, 13 July 1945, and brings to a close one of the greatest and most successful campaigns ever fought. History alone will judge the Allied Expeditionary Force in its true perspective, but we, who have worked and struggled together, can feel nothing but pride in the achievements of the men we have been honored to command, and sadness at having to be parted now. Whatever history may relate about the exploits of this Allied Force, and the memory of man is short and fickle, it is only we, at this time, who can fully appreciate the merit and due worth of the accomplishments of this great Allied team. These accomplishments are not limited to the defeat of the Nazi hordes in battle -- a continent has been liberated from all that is an antipathy to the ideal of democracy which is our common heritage. Above all, we have proven to the whole world that the British and American peoples can forever be united in purpose, in deed and in death for the cause of liberty…Your own brilliant performance is already a matter of history. My gratitude to you is a small token for the magnificent service which you have rendered, and my simple expression of thanks sounds totally inadequate…I can do nothing more than assure you of my lasting appreciation, which I would ask you to convey to all those under your command for their exemplary devotion to duty and for the most magnificent loyalty which has ever been shown to a commander." On July 13, 1945, the SHAEF staff assembled in the casino of the I.G. Farbenindustrie Building in Frankfurt, Germany. General Eisenhower made his farewell address, expressing his appreciation for their work, concluding, "It is my fervent hope and prayer that the unparalleled unity which has been achieved among the Allied nations in war will be a source of inspiration for, and point the way to, a permanent and lasting peace." In April 1944, Hoyt S. Vandenberg (1899-1954) was designated deputy air commander in chief of the Allied Expeditionary Forces and commander of its American Air Component. He later received an oak leaf cluster to the Distinguished Service Medal for his part in planning the Normandy invasion. Vandenberg's contribution to the Allied victory cannot be overstated and is perhaps best illustrated by Patton's gesture in presenting the German battle flag to Vandenberg upon touring the wreckage after the fall of Bastogne. Vandenberg later served as Director of Central Intelligence (1946-1947) and Chief of Staff of the Air Force (1948-1953). On October 4, 1958 the missile and aerospace base at Cooke AFB in Lompoc, California, was renamed Vandenberg Air Force Base. This letter, in very fine condition, has been attractively double-matted and framed under glass to an overall size of 18" x 22.5". A truly historic tribute by General Eisenhower not only to General Vandenberg, but to all the soldiers who liberated Europe.<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Framed - with Glass, Small (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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