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

first day cover

First day cover for the U.S.S. CURTISS (AV-4, built 1940), seaplane tender; front of envelope has cachet on left in green ink with USN shield in upper left, USN shield with crossed anchors behind on upper right, stars in lower left and lower right, profile of an unidentified navy ship in the center; printed above and below ship "HONORING/ A GREAT NAVY"; stamp on right depicts Martha Washington in profile, printed on stamp "UNITED/ STATES/ POSTAGE/ MARTHA/ WASHINGTON/ 1-1/2 CENTS 1-1/2"; stamp postmarked "U.S.S./ DEC/ 25/ A.M./ 1940/ CURTISS" and "PHILADELPHIA/ PA". The U.S.S. CURTISS downed one plane during the attack on Pearl Harbor and was hit by aircraft and one bomb, 19 men were killed (see correspondence file).