Description:

Military Notables
various, various
Rare Grouping of 5 U.S.M.C. Medal of Honor Recipients- Bauer, Butler, Kelly, & More!
Archive
Collection of five rare United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipients, including two twice-awarded individuals. Signatories include Smedley D. Butler, John J. Kelly, Alexander A. Vandegrift, Harold W. "Joe" Bauer, and John L. Smith. Varying degrees of age toning, light creasing, and handling marks throughout. Overall, very good- a fantastic group of military notables.

The lot includes:

1.) Twice awarded Medal of Honor recipient Smedley D. Butler signed first day cover. 1p, measuring 6.5" x 3.5", dated October 24, 1932, Chester, PA. Boldly signed at middle right: "Best regards/ S. D. Butler/ Maj. Genl. (Ret)/ U. S. Marines". Smedley saw extensive combat pre-World War I in the Philippine-American War, Boxer Rebellion, and Mexican Revolution, among other conflicts. In 1914, he received his first Medal of Honor for actions in Veracruz, while the second was awarded a year later for his achievements in Haiti.

2.) Twice awarded Medal of Honor recipient John J. Kelly autographed postcard card. 1p, measuring 5.5" x 3.5", postmarked November 16, 1951 (verso), New York, NY. Reading in full: "John J. Kelly, USMC/ Medal of Honor (Army)/ Medal of Honor (Navy)/ Blanc Mont Ridge, France/ October 3, 1918". Kelly received his two Medal of Honors for the same action, awarded separately by the Army and Navy.

3.) General Alexander A. Vandegrift cut signature. 1p, measuring 3.5" x 2.75", n.p., dated September 4, 1945. Signed in blue pen as "A. A. Vandegrift". He received the Medal of Honor for actions over several months during the Solomon Islands Campaign, and later served as 18th Commandant of the Marine Corps.

4.) Lt. Col. Harold W. Bauer cut page from a Naval Academy yearbook. 1p, measuring 6.75" x 4", n.p., undated. Signed below a picture of Bauer playing football as "Harold W. Bauer/ 'Indian Joe'". He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Guadalcanal, where he became an 11 kill ACE. Bauer went missing in action on November 14, 1942 and was never found, making his autograph excessively rare.

5.) Col. John L. Smith signed first day cover. 1p, measuring 6.5" x 3.5", dated January 12, 1968, Jeffersonville, IN. Signed at lower right as "John L. Smith/ Col. USMC/ (Ret.)". Smith was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions while flying in the early days of Guadalcanal, where he became a 19 kill ACE. He later committed suicide in 1972.

This lot comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 6.5" x 3.5"
  • Medium: Archive

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

June 26, 2024 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000