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MAY 1945 - WWII GENERAL MARK W. CLARK'S SIGNED VE SPEECH
Item Ref: BSL - Gen. Mark Clark
Lt. General Mark Wayne Clark (1896 - 1984)
Commander of the 15th Army Group in Italy
Historical Note
Clark was a descendent of Revolutionary leader General George Rogers Clark and a cousin of General George Marshall. He was born in Madison Barracks, New York, but spent much of his youth in Illinois. Clark graduated from West Point in 1917. He was appointed to the rank of captain in the infantry in 1917 and served in France during World War I in the 11th Infantry, where he was wounded. Between the wars, Clark served as a deputy commander of the Civilian Conservation Corps district in Omaha, Nebraska. He attended the Command and General Staff School in 1935 and the Army War College in 1937. During World War II, he was the Deputy Commander for Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa. He landed by submarine weeks before the invasion to negotiate with the Vichy French at Cherchell on October 21 – 22, 1942. Clark was on board USS Ancon (AGC-4) during the landings at Salerno, Italy, 12 September 1943. He became the youngest officer to become Lt. General in 1943, and was given command of the US Fifth Army shortly before the Salerno landings in Italy in September 1943. In December 1944 he assumed command of the British/American 15th Army Group, putting him in command of all ground troops in Italy. This is his signed "Victory in Europe" Speech.
One Page Document signed and dated May 1945
Text as follows:
HEADQUARTERS 15TH ARMY GROUP
TO THE SOLDIERS
OF THE 15th ARMY GROUP
With a full and grateful heart I hail and congratulate you in this hour
of complete victory over the German enemy, and join with you in thanks
to Almighty God.
Yours has been a long; hard fight – the longest in this
war of any Allied troops fighting on the Continent of Europe. You men of
the Fifth and Eighth Armies have brought that fight to a successful
conclusion by recent brilliant offensive operations which shattered the
German forces opposing you. Their surrender was the inevitable course
left to them, they had nothing more to fight with in Italy.
You have demonstrated. something new and remarkable in
the annals of organized warfare: You have shown that a huge fighting
force composed of units from many countries with diverse languages and
customs, inspired, as you have always been, with a devotion to the cause
of freedom, can become an effective and harmonious fighting team.
This teamwork which has carried us to victory has
included in full measure the supporting arms which have worked with us
throughout the campaign. The services that have supplied us have
overcome unbelievable obstacles and have kept us constantly armed,
equipped, and fed. The magnificent support which we have always had from
the Allied air and naval forces in this theater has written a new page
in the history of cooperative combat action.
Our exultation in this moment is blended with sorrow as
we pay tribute to the heroic Allied soldiers who have fallen in battle
in order that this victory might be achieved. The entire world will
forever honor their memory.
The war is not over. The German military machine has
been completely crushed by the splendid campaigns waged by you and your
colleagues of the Western and Russian fronts. There remains the all
important task of inflicting a similar complete defeat on our remaining
enemy – Japan. Each one of us in the 15th Army Group must continue
without pause to give the full measure of effort to that task wherever
we may be called upon to serve.
I am intensely proud of you all and of the honor which
I have had of commanding such invincible troops. My thanks go to each of
you for your capable, aggressive, and loyal service which has produced
this great victory.
Men of the 15th Army Group, 1 know you will face the
task ahead with .the same magnificent, generous and indomitable spirit
you have shown in this long campaign. Forward, to final Victory. God
bless you all.
MAY 1945
Mark W. Clark
[SIGNATURE]
General, USA Commanding
Document Specifications: The page measures 8" wide x 10" tall (202mm x 250mm). It is a printed document from the Headquarters 15th Army Group and is dated May 1945. It is signed by Mark W. Clark, General USA Commanding. It has one vertical and three horizontal folds and there is what appears to be fire damage at one of the folded corners resulting in two charred holes as seen in the image, not affecting his signature. A very fine memento of VE day in Italy as signed by the Allied Commander of Forces.
Offered
by Berryhill & Sturgeon, Ltd. .................................
$ SOLD