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Document 13247 FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT Acting Secretary of the Navy, FDR orders a Navy Gunner to learn "the care, operation and management of machine guns". War-date TLS: "Franklin D. Roosevelt" as Acting Secretary of the Navy, 1p, 8x10½. Washington, 1918 May 11. To Gunner John McNamara, U.S.N., U.S. Armed Draft Detail, New York, N.Y. (Commandant, Navy Yard). In full: "Subject: Change of duty. 1. You will regard yourself detached from your present station, and from such other duty as may have been assigned you; will proceed and report for duty in accordance with following instructions; this employment on shore duty being required by the public interests. To Utica, N.Y., and on May 15, 1918, report to the Officer in charge of works, Savage Arms Co., for duty under instruction in the care, operation and management of machine guns at said works." Noted at bottom: "(Confirming dispatch of May 9, 1918)/Copy to:/Bureau of Ordnance". In lower right: "Supply Office/Armed Draft Detail/Paid $19.36 mileage 242 Miles/From Navy Yard, New York, N.Y./to Utica, New York", signed: "W.D. Blaker" as Acting Pay Clerk for Assistant Paymaster E.N. Littlefield (T), U.S. Navy. On verso: "Received (sic) at 9.45 am May 14, 1918/J. McNamara/Gunner (T) U.S.N./Marine Corps school of instruction, Savage/Arms Corp. Utica, N.Y. May 16, 1918/1. Reported this date/Certified a true copy/J. McNamara/Gunner (T) U.S.N." Instruction in the use of a newly designed machine gun was needed after the United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917. The Browning machine gun, developed by John M. Browning and adopted by the U.S. Army in 1917, was a water cooled, tripod-mounted, belt feed machine gun. It operated by recoil force and fired at about 500 rounds a minute. The original combat versions were .30 caliber. Over 68,000 were made before the war ended. A .50 caliber version was also developed as an anti-aircraft weapon in 1919 and later saw extensive use as an infantry support and tank weapon. It is still in use in virtually every country in the world today. Franklin D. Roosevelt entered politics in 1910 at age 28 and was elected to the New York State Senate as a Democrat from Hyde Park, his traditionally Republican home district. He supported Woodrow Wilson's candidacy at the 1912 Democratic National Convention and, as a reward for his support, Wilson appointed him Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1913, a position he held until 1920. When Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels was away from Washington, FDR acted in his stead as evidenced by this order to Gunner John McNamara. Roosevelt was an energetic and efficient administrator, specializing in the business side of naval administration. His popularity, success in naval affairs and his family name, resulted in his nomination in 1920 as the Democratic nominee for Vice President. The Cox-Roosevelt ticket lost to Harding-Coolidge in a landslide. Folds, horizontal fold touches top of "F" in signature. Creased and lightly soiled. 2 file holes in blank upper margin touch McNamara's notes. Blue receipt stamping at blank left margin. Paper clip rust stain at upper left corner touches McNamara's notes. SEE IF DOCUMENT 13247 IS FOR SALE RIGHT NOW!!
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