Cover of the Month
This is an eclectic group of covers posted over many years and by a variety of members. Steve Shay should be credited with most of these. Many of the archived covers give highlights of the ship’s history, the cachet maker if appropriate and what the cancellation date and type are.
USS Dickerson (DD-157) – Oink Island?
November 10, 2020
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USS Dickerson DD-157 by Glenn Smith (#8073) At first glance this cover without even a cachet appears ordinary in the extreme. The Type 3(B-BBT) is common. But then one is drawn to the killer bars, and what is that? OOF?
USS Medusa (AR-1) – Graf Zeppelin Mail
November 9, 2020
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Graf Zeppelin carried Naval Cover By Steve Shay (#L-10,821) The German designed, built and operated Zeppelin, LZ-127, was christened as Graf Zeppelin in 1928. This Zeppelin was patterned on the design of Zeppelin LZ-126, given to the United States as
Forwarded Mail Chasing a Sailor
November 9, 2020
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Forwarded Mail Chasing a Sailor in 1941 By Steve Shay (L-10,821) On October 4, 1941, a female student at Eureka College in Illinois mailed an air mail letter to a sailor in the Navy. The sailor may have been a
USS Scorpion (SSN-589)
November 9, 2020
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USS SCORPION SS(N)-589 By Steve Shay (L-10,821) The story of the nuclear attack submarine is pretty well known by naval cover collectors. She would be one of two nuclear submarines lost by the US Navy. Scorpion was a Skipjack class
USS Wasmuth (DD-338)
November 9, 2020
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USS WASMUTH (DD 338) By John Young (USCS #L-8219) A Clemson-class destroyer commissioned in December 1921 and converted into a mine-sweeper destroyer (DMS 15) in November 1940. She was lost after explosion of two of her own depth charges during
USS Schenck (DD-159)
November 9, 2020
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USS Schenck DD-159 By Steve Shay (#L-10821) March 2006 Cover of the Month This month’s cover is a wonderful hand drawn cover celebrating the March 17 holiday. The cachet was drawn by Ted Rauterberg, USCS #1439. Ted was a “shut-in”
USS Squalus (SS-192)
November 9, 2020
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USS SQUALUS SS-192 By Glenn Smith (#8073) Perhaps the most famous U.S. Navy submarine peacetime disaster, mainly for the massive successful rescue effort after she sank off the Isle of Shoals on May 23rd, 1939. Commissioned in March 1939, SQUALUS
USS Relief (AH-1)
November 9, 2020
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USS Relief AH-1 By Steve Shay (#L-10,821) This hand painted cover by an unknown artist marks St. Valentine’s Day 1935 aboard the hospital ship USS Relief. The Relief was the first ship designed as a hospital ship for the US
USS Sirius (AK-15)
November 9, 2020
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USS Sirius (AK-15) By Steve Shay (#L-10,821) USS Sirius was a cargo ship built in 1918 and acquired by the War Shipping Board in 1922 and assigned to the Naval Transportation Board. She operated along the East Coast and Caribbean
USS West Virginia (BB-48)
November 9, 2020
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USS West Virginia By Glenn Smith, (USCS #8,073) Official business cover from VADM David Foote Sellers, Commander Battleships, Battle Force, flying his flag in USS WEST VIRGINIA BB-48 to CAPT A. C. (Andrew) Pickens at the Naval War College, Newport,
USS West Virginia (BB-48)
November 9, 2020
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USS West Virginia (BB-48) By Steve Shay (#L-10,821) This small cover was sent to a shop we would all like to have visited. Who wouldn’t want to visit a shop selling antiques, curious, uniforms, steamship and yacht equipment, coins, naval
USS Vincennes (CA-44)
November 9, 2020
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Vincennes (CA-44) John Young, (#L-8219) Interesting hand-drawn ink & pen cachet (colored pencil) done by sailor aboard USS VINCENNES (Leonard) for crew-member, H. Avery Pratt for a relative in Essex, CT. Cachet depicts “King Neptune & mermaid” waiting for ship
USS Vestal (AR-4)
November 9, 2020
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USS VESTAL (AR 4) John Young (L-8219) A combination of colored pencil, ink, newspaper cartoon (Popeye) & part of a photograph documents the retirement of Michael Owens from U.S. Navy, posted aboard USS VESTAL on July 7, 1939. Mike enlisted
USS Turkey (AM-13)
November 9, 2020
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USS Turkey (AM-13) By Steve Shay (#L-10,821) The minesweeper USS TURKEY was assigned to the Pacific Fleet based in San Pedro, California in September 1939. TURKEY was commissioned December 13, 1918, a little too late to see service during World
USS Swordfish (SSN-579)
November 9, 2020
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USS Swordfish (SSN-579) By Steve Shay (#L-10,821) The USS Swordfish was the second of the Skate class of nuclear attack submarines, the first class of the attack submarines to be built for the Navy that was not considered as a