Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Letter

[siege1863]

Not many are aware that from 14 November 1941 to 2 January 1942, the great movie actor, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., served aboard the battleship USS MISSISSIPPI. He was acting assistant communications officer. This letter, on USS MISSISSIPPI letterhead, is dated 23 November [1941], and dates just two weeks before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The letter was written when the ship was at Reykjavik, Iceland. I have yet to crack the "code" to learn the name of the person Fairbanks was writing to.

 

[SteveR]

Wow thats neat.

The piece covers 2 collecting areas, military and entertainers autographs.

 

Not many are aware that from 14 November 1941 to 2 January 1942, the great movie actor, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., served aboard the battleship USS MISSISSIPPI. He was acting assistant communications officer. This letter, on USS MISSISSIPPI letterhead, is dated 23 November [1941], and dates just two weeks before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The letter was written when the ship was at Reykjavik, Iceland. I have yet to crack the "code" to learn the name of the person Fairbanks was writing to.

 

[KASTAUFFER]

Nice letter!

[SI Gordon]

Here's a little interesting photo and autograph.

[siege1863]

From an Ohio paper dated 21 November 1941...

 

 

[bobgee]

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. was a premier Hollywood actor in 1941. Like many other actors of that period, unlike most in Hollywood today, he was a very patriotic American, willing to go in harm's way in defense of liberty when he could easily have avoided it. Following is from Wikiperdia:

 

 

In 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt appointed him a special envoy to South America.

 

Although celebrated as an actor, Fairbanks most enduring legacy was a well-kept secret for decades. At the onset of World War II, Fairbanks was commissioned a reserve officer in the U.S. Navy and assigned to Lord Mountbatten's Commando staff in England.

 

Having witnessed (and participated in) British training and cross-channel harassment operations emphasizing the military art of deception, Fairbanks attained a depth of understanding and appreciation of military deception then unheard of in the United States Navy. Lieutenant Fairbanks was subsequently transferred to Virginia Beach where he came under the command of Admiral H. Kent Hewitt, who was preparing U.S. Naval forces for the invasion of North Africa.

 

Fairbanks was able to convince Hewitt of the advantages of such a unit, and Admiral Hewitt soon took Fairbanks to Washington, D.C. to sell the idea to the Chief of Naval Operations, ADM Ernest King. Fairbanks succeeded and ADM King issued a secret letter on 5 March 1943 charging the Vice Chief of Naval Operations with the recruitment of 180 officers and 300 enlisted men for the Beach Jumper program.

 

The Beach Jumpers mission would simulate amphibious landings with a very limited force. Operating dozens of kilometers from the actual landing beaches and utilizing their deception equipment, the Beach Jumpers would lure the enemy into believing that theirs was the location of the amphibious beach landing, when in fact the actual amphibious landing would be conducted at another location. Even if the enemy was less than 100-percent convinced of the deception, the uncertainty created by the operations could conceivably delay enemy reinforcement of the actual landing area by several crucial hours.

 

U.S. Navy Beach Jumpers saw their initial action in Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. Throughout the remainder of the war, the Beach Jumpers conducted their hazardous, shallow-water operations throughout the Mediterranean.

 

For his planning the diversion-deception operations and his part in the amphibious assault on Southern France, Lieutenant Commander Fairbanks was awarded the U.S. Navy's Legion of Merit with bronze V (for valor), the Italian War Cross for Military Valor, the French Legion d'Honneur and the Croix de Guerre with Palm, and the British Distinguished Service Cross. Fairbanks was also awarded the Silver Star for valor displayed while serving on PT boats.

 

He was made an Honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE) in 1949.

 

It is not a stretch to say that Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. was the father of the United States Navy's Information Operations.[citation needed] As for the Beach Jumpers, they changed names several times in the decades following World War II, expanded their focus, and are currently known as the Navy Information Operations Command. Fairbanks stayed in the Naval Reserve after the war and ultimately retired a captain in 1954.

Semper Fi.....Bobgee

 

Many of the Navy's most important information operations since World War II remain classified, but it is clear that the U.S. military retains its interest in this art of war.[/size]

[SteveR]

That is some great information friend. Captain Fairbanks was a true American as was many of his generation of actors of the period. The generation that immediatly followed them were many veterans of WWII that studied drama under the GI bill. Which I am proud to say was brought about by the efforts of the veterans of WWI of the American Legion.

It is to damned bad that the following generations of American actors from the 60's on up have not shown the same patriotism. ie., Sean "the idiot" Penn, Danny "the traitor" Glover, Kevin "space case" Spacey and last but not least Jane "somebody should have shot her spoiled rump" Fonda.

It seems that today Hollywood produces buttheads that think they are intellectuals and that disrespecting their country is a grand thing to do. Little realizing that it is the grunt with boots on the ground that pays the price for their giving aid and comfort to the enemy. For those entertainers that have supported our troops and country in our conflicts I wish them all the good things that could happen for them and a golden mansion in the afterlife. For those that continue to give aid and comfort even in an indirect way to those that announce themselves to be our enemies. ie,. Iran, Venezuela and the other little pisspot dictators around the world, I hope they fry in hell.

Steve "The old redneck Okie" Ray

[SteveR]

Now that I have put my soap box up. One of my most prized possessions above all else is a cigarette lighter given to my Fatherinlaw E.L.Wright ,BMC. USN Ret. By John Wayne himself and given by the Chief to me.

The story being that the Chief was working in security at a large shipyard after his retirement in San Diego when Wayne's yacht docked for repairs in the 70's. The ship had been either a mine layer or mine sweeper I can't remember as I type and the Chief had been stationed to one during his 30 year career in the Navy. Nobody knew how to fix the problem when the Chief (an old Boatswains mate) said he could fix it no problem. He went aboard ,supervised the repair crew and had it in tip top shape in good time.

Mr Wayne was very pleased and spent the rest of the afternoon getting juiced with the Chief. As a result the Chief came home with the lighter and a stack of autographed photos of John Wayne that he was kind enought to share. My fatherinlaw was a very good man.

Steve Ray