Lot 407

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Description:

WWII Nimitz Naval Dispatch: Congratulating Coast Guard Semper Paratus, Sent 3 Weeks Before Hiroshima Bombing

Two page typed Naval dispatch, 8" x 7", with two punch holes along top edge. Header of U.S. Naval Communication Service, Amphibious Forces, Pacific. Dated "14 July 1945". Very good with wavyness to the pages, a small stain along the top edge and a small tear and rust stain from a staple. Ex. J. John Fox (1905-1999) Intelligence Officer for the Amphibious Forces, via Auction (see below for his Biography).

An important dispatch from C. W. Nimitz (noted at the bottom of page two). Nimitz communicated a congratulatory message that August 4th marked the 155th Anniversary of the United States Coast Guard, and continued to praise their current levels of preparedness. Nimitz goes into detail of the accomplishments and champions their motto "Semper Paratus". Below the dispatch is shown in full with the original sentence breaks as shown in the dispatch.:

"This August 4th marks the 155th Anniversary of the United States Coast Guard, and the 4th year of its all out participation in the current war X the skill and versatility of Coast Guardsmen have been amply demonstrated.  On every beach head in Europe and in the pacific X many of the troop and cargo transports engaged in extending America's armed might to the far east are manned by the Coast Guard X they also serve in patrol vessels.

Landing craft sub chasers and cutters X Coast Guard buoy tenders set out and maintain the aids to navigation which mark our water supply routes to newly won bases close to Japan's home islands X their cargo and

Ammunition loading details supervise the loading of vital war materials into hundreds of ships at many pacific bases X Coast Guard fireboats stand ready in pacific harbors to protect shipping and military

installations X in all these ways and many more the Coast Guard is living up to the spirit of it motto quote Semper Paratus unquote - always ready - and is adding new luster to its brave and brilliant history X on behalf of the officers and men of the pacific fleet and pacific ocean areas I send greetings and congratulations to Coast Guardsmen everywhere X
Signed C.W. Nimitz

(Not to be released for publication before 4 August)"

J. John Fox (1905-1999), World War II Dispatch Collection

J. John Fox was born in Paterson, NJ, but grew up in and worked most of his adult life in Boston, MA. He attended Boston University, then enrolled in Boston University Law School. It was there he acquired the nickname “Just John” Fox, his reply to a professor’s question about his name. 

When Pearl Harbor was attacked, Fox enlisted in the Navy, despite being around 36 years old. Initially he served in the North Atlantic before being assigned to the amphibious forces in the Pacific Theater under Admiral Richmond “Kelly” Turner. Fox became an intelligence officer and was involved in the planning of the assaults on Kwajalein, the Marianas, Palau, Leyte, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. In late 1945 he was also deeply involved in planning the invasion of Japan itself. Had the invasion occurred, he was to have been in charge of prisoner interrogation and captured documents. He was awarded the bronze star for his service in the Pacific Theater. Before being discharged in 1946, he helped in preparation of amphibious operations training materials at the Naval War College in Newport, RI. 

After his discharge, he returned to his legal practice in Boston. Governor Dever appointed him as associate judge in 1952. He then became a probate judge in Norfolk Probate Court in 1960. He retired from the bench in 1973.

In the 1960s Fox helped establish a public medical school in Massachusetts, a school that became the University of Massachusetts Medical School. In 1974, he co-sponsored, with David Bartley, the Bartley-Fox Law, the first of its kind, in Massachusetts. Bartley-Fox established stiff penalties for illegal possession of a firearm and committing a crime with an unlicensed firearm. Although the law generated controversy, as does all firearms-related legislation, this one did not restrict ownership of firearms, it only required them to be registered. 

Judge Fox lived for another quarter century after retirement, passing away on October 4, 1999 at the age of 95.

The document was brought back from the Pacific by Fox following World War II, and descended through his family.

This item 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.

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