Operation Lifeline; History and Development of the Naval Air Transport Service. Photographs by Joe Rosenthal Lee, James [Nimitz, Chester W.; Forrestal, James; Radford, A.W.; Reeves, J.W.] Naval History

Quarto, [4], 171pp, [4]. Blue padded vellum, title printed on spine, emblem of the Naval Air Transport Service on front cover. All edges gilt. Color restoration to scuff marks on the spine, wear to tips. Pictorial endpapers. Blindstamp along lower corner of limitation page, bookplate removed from rear endpaper, likely held by an institution or private library. From a limited edition of 1000 signed copies, this is number 355. Limitation page is signed by James Forrestal (Secretary of the Navy), Admiral Chester W. Nimitz (Chief of Naval Operations), Vice Admiral A.W. Radford (Deputy Chief of Naval Operations) and Rear Admiral J.W. Reeves (Commander, Naval Air Transport Services). An incredible collection of signatures from dignitaries of the Second World War. The Naval Air Transport Service was a part of the United States Navy from 1941 to 1948. With the reorganization of the military following World War II, the Naval Air Transport Service merged into the Military Airlift Command (MAC). James Forrestal would go on to serve as the first Secretary of Defense; Admiral Chester Nimitz was the Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet during World War II; and Admiral Radford was in command of forces attacking Okinawa, Iwo Jima, and Tarawa.