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[Pearl Harbor]. Crewman's Letter by Robert Lee Kelly, Written Aboard the USS Arizona, Together with an Archive of ...
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Description
A crewman aboard the USS Arizona writes to his wife ten days before perishing in the attack on Pearl Harbor
[Pearl Harbor]. Crewman's Letter by Robert Lee Kelly, Written
Aboard the USS Arizona, Together with an
Archive of Related Photos. One and a quarter
pages on a single sheet of USS Arizona letterhead, 6 3/4 x
10 inches; Pearl Harbor; November 27, 1941. Chief Electrician's
Mate Kelly writes to his wife ten days before the surprise Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor.In full: "My Darling Wife: I received a letter from you and a letter you sent from Sister, I don't know whether I answered or not but I was looking for a letter from you and wondering why you didn't write, but I looked in my stationery box tonight and found these two, and I usually tear them up when answered. I was ashore the other night with Steve and got lit up pretty well, but it didn't help much only for a few hours and then the same old blue world just as blue and lonesome as ever. It looks like we will never come back and the housing problem is getting worse a lot of ford workmen out here now and paying seventy five to a hundred a month rent which we couldn't afford. The rumor now is the twenty first of december, but the rumors are started to keep the morale up but it isn't working so well now as no one puts much hope in them anymore.
Mary seems to be disgusted with me for not answering her letter but if she only knew how much work it is for me to write to them all she could understand. Well honey I'll close with all my love to you. Bob."
Kelly was one of 1,177 men who perished aboard the USS Arizona when the Japanese attacked on December 7, 1941. This tragic event marked one of the most significant losses of life on a single vessel in U.S. naval history. The letter is accompanied by the original transmittal cover addressed in his hand adding "Pearl Harbor / T.H." and 32 photographs of varying sizes. Most notably, there is a 3 1/2 x 5 inches photograph of Franklin Roosevelt with his hand over his heart while in attendance of a ceremony at the Navy Yard in Pearl Harbor for the servicemen who perished held on July 27, 1944. Also included: an 8 x 10 inches photograph of military personnel taken at the same event; sixteen photographs (4 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches) taken during Kelly's service in the Navy; and eighteen photos (4 3/4 x 3 3/4) of the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard the Missouri. As the Missouri photos are less common images of the event, they may have been shared with Kelly's widow as a remembrance that his death had not been in vain. Lastly, the lot includes five envelopes addressed in Kelly's hand to his wife from various locations while serving on board the USS Pensacola.
The USS Arizona was a Pennsylvania-class battleship built for the U.S. Navy and launched on June 19, 1915. Although commissioned in 1916, the ship remained in the United States during World War I. Shortly after the war, the Arizona was part of a fleet that briefly escorted President Woodrow Wilson to the Paris Peace Conference. In 1919, the ship was sent to Turkey at the beginning of the Greco-Turkish War to represent American interests. She was later transferred to the Pacific Fleet, where she remained for the rest of her career.
The Arizona underwent a comprehensive modernization from 1929 to 1931 and was regularly used for training exercises. It was the ship most heavily bombed during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and suffered the highest number of casualties. The battleship was hit by several bombs, including a catastrophic hit to its forward ammunition magazine, which caused a massive explosion. The devastation to the Arizona was so severe that it sank quickly, and unlike many other ships damaged that day, it could not be fully salvaged. The wreck still lies at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, and the USS Arizona Memorial, dedicated on May 30, 1962, to all those who died during the attack, straddles the ship's hull.
Condition: Letter has flattened folds, creasing and toning. All envelopes have toning and light soiling. Roosevelt and Navy Yard photo have creasing; with the latter having four tabs of celo tape affixed on verso. Remaining photos have a few bumped corners and adhesive residue on verso making it difficult for them to be removed from the sleeves and boards they are housed in.
Auction Info
2024 September 25 Historical Manuscripts Including Texana Signature® Auction #6305 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
September, 2024
25th
Wednesday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 8
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
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