KOREAN WAR / Douglas MacArthur HONOR GUARD Documents SIGNED by General RIDGWAY For Sale

- The HONOR GUARD to the Commander-in-Chief, FAR EAST -- GENERAL Matthew B. Ridgway SIGNED Document (1951-52) -- ORNATE GHQ Certificate for 1st Lieutenant William R. Lamdin - - WITH 1951 General Ridgeway SIGNED Honor Guard LETTER -

This sale consists of an ornate DOCUMENT and a LETTER both SIGNED by GENERAL Mathew B. Ridgway concerning the HONOR GUARD to the Commander-in-Chief, FAR EAST Command during 1951-1952. The HONOR GUARD was originally formed in 1945 to protect GENERAL Douglas MacArthur and his staff + family.

ITEM # 1 - Korean War era document, a CERTIFICATE for SOLDIER “1ST Lt. William R. Lamdin” who “was a member of the Honor Guard to the Commander-in-Chief, Far East, during the period 2 February 1951 to 7 April 1952”. First Lieutenant William R. Lamdin was a 1950 graduate of West Point and was originally appointed a member of General Douglas MacArthur’s HONOR GUARD.

The HONOR GUARD certificate has a colorful, ornate emblem along the top depicting an EAGLE with patriotic shield that is flanked by two flags – a FOUR-STAR General’s flag on the left and a GHQ (General Headquarters) flag on the right. In the center bottom area of the document, General Matthew B. Ridgway has signed / autographed as “General, United States Army”. To the left of Ridgway’s signature is a pristine, fully-intact silver foil HEADQUARTERS seal for the FEC (Far East Command).

In the bottom right corner of the certificate, Captain James L. Andrews has signed / autographed the document as “Commanding Officer”. James Lawrence Andrews (1921 - 2012) joined the U.S. Army in 1940 as a private in the Coast Artillery and retired as an Army COLONEL in 1969, ending his career as a base commander in Viet Nam. Andrews served in the Pacific theater during WWII and earned to two BRONZE STARS with oak leaf cluster for valor. He also received the Purple Heart for wounds he received as a platoon leader during the “Battle of Luzon”. His military career post war included service in Italy and that as Commanding Officer of General Douglas MacArthur's + General Matthew B. Ridgway’s HONOR GUARD in Japan during the Korean War.

ITEM # 2 - is a separate LETTER written on “GENERAL HEADQUARTERS FAR EAST COMMAND” letterhead, which is genuinely SIGNED by GENERAL Matthew B. Ridgway as well. The letter is dated December 24th 1951 and is addressed “TO THE MEMBERS OF THE HONOR GUARD COMPANY” on Christmas EVE. The letter expresses the gratitude of both Mrs. Ridgway and the GENERAL for “your innumerable courtesies to us, and for your loyal and steadfast duty” and concludes “With every good wish for a Happy Christmas”.

GENERAL Douglas MacArthur’s HONOR GUARD was formed in 1945 as “Company E” to protect the General, his family, and staff. On March 9th 1946, “Company E” was officially renamed the Honor Guard Company. Between its inception and April of 1951 (when General MacArthur was relieved of his command by President Truman and replaced by General Ridgway), about 2,000 men had served in the Honor Guard. The Company would serve subsequent Commanders and finally disbanded in July of 1957.

MATTHEW B. RIDGWAY (1895 - 1993) served as Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) from 1952 – 53 and was appointed the 19th Chief of Staff of the United States Army (1953 – 55). He fought with distinction during WWII, initially as Commanding General of the 82nd Airborne Division - leading his soldiers in Sicily, Italy, and Normandy. In August of 1944, Ridgeway was placed in command of the newly formed XVIII Airborne Corps and saw action during the Battle of the Bulge, Operation Varsity, and the Western Allied invasion of Germany. He led the Eight Army with distinction during the Korean War, restoring much needed morale and combat effectiveness upon taking command. Ridgway would lead his troops during Operation Thunderbolt, a counter-offensive in early 1951. When President Harry Truman relieved General MacArthur of his command in April of 1951, Ridgway was promoted to full GENERAL and given command of all United Nations forces in Korea. Ridgway also assumed General Douglas MacArthur’s role as military governor of Japan, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP). This was the title held by General MacArthur during the allied occupation of Japan following WWII. In Japan, the SCAP position was generally referred to as GHQ (General Headquarters). During his tenure as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, Ridgway oversaw the restoration of Japan's independence and sovereignty on April 28th 1952.

CONDITION: the DOCUMENT measures about 11 ¼ x 16 5/8 inches in size and is in EXCELLENT overall condition. There is a single horizontal fold and some minor creasing. There are two small pinholes in the area where the soldier’s period of service is listed, but there are otherwise NO rips or tears. The LETTER measures about 7 ¼ x 9 ¾ inches in size and is in EXCELLENT condition as well. It has some minor creasing but NO rips or tears (see scans). Matthew B. Ridgway’s signature / autograph on the HONOR GUARD document and the HONOR GUARD letter are BOTH guaranteed authentic. Winning buyer to pay $25 for shipping, postage & INSURANCE. Please let me know if you have any additional questions. PLEASE READ: I have been buying + selling American historical autographs & documents for over 40 years and a former member of both the “Manuscript Society” and the UACC. We ship everything INSURED (thru the USPS) with a value over $50. This helps us know that the item you took the time to purchase arrived safely. Packages are shipped out within 1 – 3 business days, but typically the next day. Please understand, we do not make any money on shipping costs, but rather run a deficit over the course of a year. Most buyers don’t realize that charges me a 13.6 percent FEE on the item sold, an additional 13.6 percent FEE on my quoted shipping charges, and another 13.6 percent FEE on the sales tax that collects on the item. Everything we sell is packaged with the utmost care. Please read my response over the last 25 years. The comments are often – the best packaging I have ever seen or “bullet proof” packaging. We do NOT offer returns for one simple reason. In the past, I have had some buyers purchase items from me and then proceed to shop them around during the return period to try and make a fast profit, without any financial risk. After they were unsuccessful, they returned the item to me. This information, however, made it back to me from different people I know who were directly offered my item immediately after I had sold it and before it was returned to me for a refund. offer with confidence! You will receive the exact item pictured and in the same condition as described in my listing.