The John Bannister Collection - D-Day and Militaria
Lot 1043:
Description
Iwo Jima MOH Signed Print & Archive
This is an extraordinary archive of WWII memorabilia, specifically focusing on Medal of Honor (MOH) recipients from the brutal Battle of Iwo Jima. The centerpiece is a limited edition, numbered print (107/500) of a Boeing B-29 Superfortress by an artist named Millett (dated 1978, Denver, CO). This print is not signed by B-29 pilots, as one might first assume, but is instead a unique collaborative piece signed by six Iwo Jima Medal of Honor recipients, all of whom are mentioned in the accompanying notes and documents: Capt. Robert H. Dunlap (USMCR), Cpl. Hershel W. Williams (USMCR), Capt. Joseph J. McCarthy (USMCR), Pfc. Douglas T. Jacobson (USMCR), Pfc. Jacklyn Harold Lucas (USMCR, the youngest MOH recipient since the Civil War), and PhM 3/c George E. Wahlen (USNR). Also included is a pivotal black-and-white photograph depicting President Harry S. Truman presenting the Medal of Honor to Capt. Joseph J. McCarthy on October 5, 1945, at the White House, which is signed by Captain McCarthy below the image. A White House document (likely a certificate or letter), bearing what appears to be a printed Harry Truman signature, details the MOH citation for McCarthy. The collection further includes numerous autograph note cards from the veterans (including one from Lucas mentioning his wife, Ruby), and original newspaper clippings detailing their heroic actions. The items are primarily paper and photographic prints, exhibiting light age-related toning and expected creasing on the newspaper clippings, but the signatures are bold and clear on the B-29 print, which itself is in very good condition. This is an unparalleled collection of WWII valor. Part of the John Bannister Collection. H 18″, W 24″, D 0.25″ Please see photos.
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