RARE WW1 US ARMY CHIEF of AIR SERVICE (AF CREATION RELATED) AUTOGRAPHED LETTER for Sale

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RARE WW1 US ARMY CHIEF of AIR SERVICE (AF CREATION RELATED) AUTOGRAPHED LETTER For Sale

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RARE WW1 US ARMY CHIEF of AIR SERVICE (AF CREATION RELATED) AUTOGRAPHED LETTER:
$1250.00

RARE! WW1 US ARMY - CHIEF of AIR SERVICE (AF CREATION RELATED) AUTOGRAPHED LETTER

RARE! WW1 US ARMY - CHIEF OF AIR SERVICE (CREATION OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE RELATED CONTENT) AUTOGRAPHED LETTER

CONDITION IS EXTREMELY FINE THROUGHOUT WITH SOME VERY LIGHT HANDLING AND FOLD LINES FROM ITS 104+ YEARS .

FOLDED DIMENSIONS: 6 1/8" x 7 3/16"

IMPORTANT TYPED SYMPATHY LETTER ON WAR DEPARTMENT AIR SERVICE 4 PAGE LETTERHEAD STATIONERY FROM THE CHIEF OF AIR SERVICE MAJOR GENERAL CHARLES T. MENOHER TO A SAN FRANCISCO CA. FAMILY DATED FEBRUARY 11, 1920 ABOUT THE CASUALTY OF THEIR SON, PILOT LT. JOHN D. SMITH OF THE 1ST PURSUIT GROUP 27TH AERO SQUADRON WHO DIED IN A MID-AIR COLLISION AT KELLY FIELD IN SAN ANTONIO TEXAS WITH A PILOT 2ND LT. JOHN BROKAW OF THE 94TH AERO SQUADRON 1ST PURSUIT GROUP.

AUTOGRAPHED BYCHIEF OF AIR SERVICE MAJOR GENERAL CHARLES T. MENOHERON THE LOWER FRONT RIGHT:

Chas. T. Menoher

THE LETTER PROCLAIMS IN THE HIGHEST DEGREE :

" Your son's sacrifice was made in building up the Air Service of the United States Army.

The toll paid in developing an Air Army is part of the price of victory not more avoidablenor less effective than that paid over the lines of battle."

LETTERS CONTENT IN FULL:

WAR DEPARTMENT

AIR SERVICE

WASHINGTON

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR February 11, 1920.

My dear Mr. Smith:

It is with the greatest regret that I inform

you that your son, Lieutenant Harry D. Smith, met his

death in an airplane accident at Kelly Field, San Antonio,

Texas, on February 10, 1920.

Your son's sacrifice was made in building up

the Air Service of the United States Army, and while it was made here, it

is not less helpful to our country than

if it had been the result of a combat overseas. The toll

paid in developing an Air Army is part of the price of

victory not more avoidable nor less effective than

that paid over the lines of battle.

Lieutenant Smith sought the front line of

danger and was one of those whose privilege it was to

be selected for it. His name is inscribed on the Roll

of Honor of the Air Service and he has become one of the

nation's heroes.

I join with his brother officers in extending

to you our deepest sympathy.

Very sincerely,

Chas. T. Menoher

Major General, U.S.A.

Mr. John D. Smith,

415 - 23rd Avenue

San Francisco, Calif.

--------------------

NEWSPAPER CLIPPING WITH THE PICTURES IS FOR REFERENCE ONLY AND IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE LISTING.

LT. HARRY B. SMITH FLIGHT (b.1895?- d.1920) COMMANDER OF THE 27TH AERO SQUADRON AND 2ND LT. HARRY BROKAW, OF THE 94TH AERO SQUADRON, WERE INSTANTLY KILLED WHEN THEIR MACHINES COLLIDED 125 FEET IN MIDAIR AND FELL AT KELLY FIELD, TEXAS. THE AVIATORS WERE IN A PRACTICE AERIAL FLIGHT IN LOW HANGING CLOUDS WHEN THEIR MACHINES COLLIDED ON FEBRUARY 10, 1920.

27th AERO SQUADRON 1 PURSUIT GROUP FIGHTER PILOT LT. HARRY D. SMITH WAS A GRADUATE OF THE MENLO SEMINARY IN MENLO, CALIFORNIA AND EDUCATED FOR THE PRIESTHOOD, VOLUNTEERED IN THE AVIATION SERVICE BEFORE THE DRAFT IN 1917. HE ENTERED THE SERVICE AS A FIRST CLASS PRIVATE. HE SPENT 22 MONTHS IN ACTIVE SERVICE IN FRANCE AND WAS WITH THE 3RD ARMY OF OCCUPATION AT COBLENZ , GERMANY. LT. HARRY D. SMITH WAS A RESIDENT OF SAN FRANCISCO AND BURIED AT THE PRESIDIO.

27TH AERO SQUADRON WAS A UNITED STATES ARMY AIR SERVICE UNIT THAT FOUGHT ON THE WESTERN FRONT DURING WORLD WAR 1. THE SQUADRON WAS ASSIGNED AS A DAY PURSUIT (FIGHTER) SQUADRON AS PART OF THE 1ST PURSUIT GROUP, 1ST U.S. ARMY. ITS MISSION WAS TO ENGAGE AND CLEAR ENEMY AIRCRAFT FROM THE SKIES AND PROVIDE ESCORT TO RECONNAISSANCE AND BOMBARDMENT SQUADRONS OVER ENEMY TERRITORY. IT ALSO ATTACKED ENEMY OBSERVATION BALLOONS, AND PERFORM CLOSE AIR SUPPORT AND TACTICAL BOMBING ATTACKS OF ENEMY FORCES ALONG THE FRONT LINES.

Major General Charles Thomas Menoher (b.1862-d.1930) was a U.S. Army General, first Chief of the United States Army Air Service from 1918 to 1921, and commanded the U.S. Army Hawaiian Department from 1924 to 1925.

Menoher served in Cuba and the Philippines during the Spanish–American War. He later graduated from the Army War College and was selected for the original General Staff Corps, where he served from 1903 to 1907. He was commander of the 5th Field Artillery Regiment from 1916 to 1917.

On December 19, 1917, Menoher, now a major general, who had been a classmate of General John J. Pershing at West Point and was an experienced officer of the field artillery, assumed command of the 42nd Division, Rainbow Division, in France during World War I.

Menoher participated in the Champagne-Marne offensive and in the successful Allied offensives of Saint Mihiel and Meuse- Argonne. Menoher was succeeded by Brigadier General Douglas MacArthur in this position. At war's end, Menoher commanded the VI Corps (United States) and received the Army Distinguished Service Medal, along with foreign awards from France, Belgium, and Italy.

US Army Air Service Hawaiian Department IX Corps

The Citation for his Army DSM reads:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July

9, 1918, pleasure presenting Army Distinguished Service Medal to Major General Charles Thomas Menoher, United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. In Command of the 42d Division from Chateau- Thierry to the conclusion of the Meuse-Argonne offensive, including Baccarat the sector, Vesles, and at St. Mihiel salient, General Reims, takes in the Awards Army Distinguished Service Medal Menoher with his division

participated in all of these important engagements. The reputation as a fighting unit of the 42d Division

is in no small measure due to the soldierly qualities and the military leadership of General Menoher.

Following World War 1, Menoher became first Director and then Chief of Air Service, where he began a famous (and ultimately losing) conflict with his Assistant Chief, Brigadier General Billy Mitchell. He was promoted to major general in March 1921. Requesting an assignment with troops, Menoher then took command of the Hawaiian Division in 1922 before taking over the entire Hawaiian Department. After this, he commanded the IX Corps Area in San Francisco until his mandatory retirement on March 20, 1926.

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