President Harry Truman 1946 Naval Appointment Sgnd James Forrestal For Sale

The product is a historical memorabilia item related to President Harry Truman's 1946 naval appointment, signed by James Forrestal. This collectible piece is a significant piece of political history from the United States, specifically highlighting a moment in Truman's presidency. It would appeal to collectors interested in presidential artifacts and political memorabilia, offering a unique glimpse into a specific event in American political history. This document IS NOT signed by president Truman.

James Vincent Forrestal(February 15, 1892– May 22, 1949) was the lastcabinet-levelUnited States secretary of the Navyand the firstUnited States secretary of defense.[1]

Forrestal came from a very strict middle-class Irish Catholic family. He was a successful financier on Wall Street before becoming Undersecretary of the Navy in 1940, shortly before the United States entered theSecond World War. He became Secretary of the Navy in May 1944 upon the death of his superior,Col.Frank Knox. PresidentFranklin D. Rooseveltrequested that Forrestal take the lead in building up the Navy. In 1947, after the end of the war, PresidentHarry S. Trumanappointed him the first secretary of the newly created Department of Defense. Forrestal was intensely hostile to the Soviet Union, fearing Communist expansion in Europe and the Middle East. Along with Secretary of StateGeorge C. Marshall, he strongly opposed the United States' support for the establishment of theState of Israel, fearing that this would alienate Arab nations which were needed as allies, and whose petroleum reserves were vital for both military and civilian industrial expansion.

Forrestal was a supporter of navalbattle groupscentered onaircraft carriers. He tried to weaken the proposed Department of Defense for the Navy's benefit, but was hard-pressed to run it from 1947 to 1949 after Truman named him Secretary of Defense. The two men were often at odds, and Truman forced Forrestal's resignation.

Thereafter, Forrestal's mental health rapidly deteriorated, declining to the point in which he underwent medical care for depression. While a patient atBethesda Naval Hospital, Forrestal died by an alleged suicide from fatal injuries sustained after falling out of a sixteenth-floor window.