ADMIRAL RICHARD E. BYRD SIGNED CORRESPONDENCE, 1954 LETTER, HIGH-JUMP ANTARCTICA

Boston, Mass., 1954. Beautiful letter twice signed by Admiral Byrd, light wear w/standard letter crease. Includes original fine envelope w/3 cent Thomas Jefferson stamp. Includes signed Letter of Authenticity from authentication expert Herman Darvick. In this correspondence, dated December 21, 1954, Admiral Byrd cordially corresponds to "new friend" Woodward and wishes a Merry Christmas. Typed on Byrd's personal stationary printed in Polar Ice blue: "Byrd Polar Expeditions, 9 Brimmer Street, Boston, Massachussetts" Addressed simply to: "Mr. W. S. Woodward, Clinton, New York". "Dear Mr. Woodward: We rejoice that we have made a new and loyal friend this year, and so we want to drop that friend a note wishing him and his the best Christmas and New Year ever, and the expression of hope that we will meet during the New Year. Sincerely, Richard E. Byrd". "P. S. I am back to normal now having gained quite a few pounds. R. E. B." Very attractive. As shown. Insured post. Byrd’s first Antarctic expedition, the largest that had ever set out for the southernmost lands, sailed in October, 1928. The Little America base was built on the face of the Ross Ice Shelf. Flights were made from this base and a range of high mountains, named the Rockefeller Mountains, was discovered. A large tract of unknown territory beyond the mountains was named Marie Byrd Land, after his wife. On November 29, 1929, Byrd, as navigator, and three companions made the first flight over the South Pole, flying from Little America to the Pole and back in nineteen hours without incident. Byrd was promoted to rear admiral for this exciting feat of bravery. In 1933–35 the second Byrd expedition visited Little America with the aim of mapping and claiming land; he extended the exploration of Marie Byrd Land and continued his scientific observations. During the southern winter of 1934 (March to August), Byrd spent five months alone in a hut at a weather station. At Bolling Advance Base weather station, 123 miles south of Little America buried beneath the ice shelf face, Byrd endured temperatures between -58° and -76° F and sometimes significantly lower. He was finally rescued in a desperately sick condition, suffering from frostbite and carbon monoxide poisoning, but ultimately recovering and later carrying out additional missions to the frozen land of the south. Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, Jr., USN (25 October 1888 – 11 March 1957) was a naval officer who specialized in feats of exploration. He was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. Aircraft flights, in which he served as a navigator and expedition leader, crossed the Atlantic Ocean, a segment of the Arctic Ocean, and a segment of the Antarctic Plateau. Byrd believed his expeditions had been the first to reach the North Pole and the South Pole by air. His South Pole claim is supported by a consensus of those who have examined the evidence. Byrd was also a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest honor for heroism given by the United States of America. In 1948 the U.S. Navy produced a documentary about Operation Highjump named The Secret Land. The film shows live action footage of the operation along with a few re-enacted scenes. It won the Academy Award for Best Documentary. On December 8, 1954, Byrd appeared on the television show Longines Chronoscope. Interviewed about his Antarctic voyages, he claimed Antarctica would become the most important place in the world for science. As part of the multinational collaboration for the International Geophysical Year (IGY) 1957–58, Byrd commanded the U.S. Navy Operation Deep Freeze I in 1955–56 which established permanent Antarctic bases at McMurdo Sound, the Bay of Whales, and the South Pole. This was Byrd's last trip to Antarctica and marked the beginning of a permanent U.S. military presence in Antarctica. Byrd spent only one week in the Antarctic and started his return to the United States on February 3, 1956. Admiral Byrd died in his sleep of a heart ailment on March 11, 1957, at his home at 7 Brimmer Street in the Beacon Hill neighborhood in Boston and buried in Arlington National Cemetery.. Fine. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall.