Lot 133
Roosevelt, Franklin D. Photograph Signed as President, 6" x 9", n.p., n.d. Fine; light toning on General Patton's knees. The photograph was taken on 30 January 1943, FDR's sixty-first birthday, and shows the President bestowing the Congressional Medal of Honor, the country's highest military honor, on Brigadier General William H. Wilbur for his major role in the Landings in French Morocco. Major General George S. Patton, Jr., to FDR's left, assists in the awarding of the Medal, and General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff, looks on. Signed vertically on the right side in bold black ink. Note the white places on Generals Wilbur and Patton's left arms, where their service patches have been scratched from the photo, due to war-time secrecy requirements.
Brigadier General Wilbur was one of the few general officers to hold the Congressional Medal of Honor, winning it for his actions as a Colonel in the North African landings near Casablanca in November 1942 and at Salerno, where he joined the 36th Army Division, leading a small unit forward to smash an enemy detachment during a critical period in the bridgehead's defense. As Assistant Division Commander, he frequently visited troops on rock ledges at Mignano Gap, and gave the order that first halted the slaughter on the Rapido. A wonderful, historic photograph.
Estimated Value $1,500 - 2,000.
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| Realized $3,600 |
