Between the Covers

Two items of memorabilia from the dreadnought battleship USS *Utah*, dating from its cruise around South America (November 1924 - March 1925). The first item is an elaborately printed and hand-colored certificate issued to seaman Paul John Leoni on 3 December 1924, Signed by General John J. Pershing, Captain Rufus Zenas Johnston, Rear Admiral John H. Dayton, and New York Congressman Frederick C. Hicks. Measuring 22” x 17”. The other item is a 12-page pamphlet in printed wrappers with a cloth tie, which was "Printed on board the United States Ship Utah, 1925." Both are very good or better with some light soiling. Laid-in is a 1917 post card of the ship.

The USS *Utah*, under the command of Captain Johnston, left Boston in November 1924 on a special mission to the Republic of Peru. Undertaken when U.S. influence in Latin America was at its peak, the mission was led by John “Black Jack” Pershing, General of the Armies of the United States. Pershing was Commander in Chief of American forces in Europe during World War I, and both he and Johnston had served together in the U.S. interventions during the Mexican Revolution, and both the Philippine-American and Spanish-American Wars. Johnston was awarded the Medal of Honor for his distinguished conduct at the battle of Veracruz (1914), and the Navy Cross (for his services in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba, the Boxer Rebellion, the Philippine-American War, and World War I), retiring as Rear Admiral. Admiral Dayton and Representative Hicks (of Eastern Long Island) served as the mission’s lead envoys.

The pamphlet prints an on-board account of the 75-day cruise, including a map, itinerary, log, and roster of the crew. The certificate of the “Domain of Neptunus Rex” also known as the “Order of Shellback,” was issued to Seaman Paul Leoni of Chicago, who crossed the equator for the first time, and was thus inducted into the “Royal Order of the Mysteries of the Deep,” passing from pollywog status to shellback. A beautifully illustrated and signed document, touched with some hand-coloring. An interesting pair of documents issued on board a ship sunk at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941.

Item #387359