Lot 1115
Jonathan M. Wainwright (1883-1953), U.S. General, Commander of Allied Forces in the Philippines who, in order to minimize loss of life, surrendered the islands to the Japanese; held in various Japanese prisons until his liberation by the Red Army in 1945; the highest ranking American POW during the war.
Free-Frank signature on a 1947 cover; also a facsimile of the letter Wainwright wrote to Roosevelt on 6 May 1942 announcing his intention to surrender the Philippines and expressing his regrets feeling he had let his country down. The first thing he wanted to know upon his release from prison was "How am I thought of back in the states?" He was amazed when told that he was regarded as a hero. He was given a ticker-tape parade on his return home and awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Estimate 150 - 200
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| Realized $160 |
