First day cover for the U.S.S. MEDUSA

first day of issue envelope

First day cover for the U.S.S. MEDUSA (AR-1, built 1923), repair ship; front of envelope has cachet in blue and red ink, various navy symbols including flags, stars, anchors, unidentified navy ship underway and USN inside square border, printed on left "Honoring our Navy/ BIRTHDAY GREETINGS/ 13TH BIRTHDAY/ of the Repair Ship/ USS Medusa AR 1/ Commissioned September 18, 1924/ AIGLON H151 U.S.C.S. 1280"; two stamps on right, top features portrait of Benjamin Franklin in profile, printed on stamp "UNITED STATES POSTAGE/ FRANKLIN/ 1 CENT 1", bottom stamp features portrait of Nathan Hale, printed on stamp "UNITED STATES POSTAGE/ NATHAN HALE/ 1/2 CENT 1/2"; stamps postmarked "U.S.S./ SEP/ 18/ 1937/ P.M./ MEDUSA" and "SAN [illegible]/ CALIF"; address handwritten on front "Bob Meeker/ 56 Elmwood Dr.,/ Mansfield,/ Ohio"; address stamped on back "FREDERICK HORTON/ P.O. BOX 390/ PORT CHESTER, N.Y." The U.S.S. MEDUSA sank one midget submarine during the attack on Pearl Harbor and helped down two planes (see correspondence file).