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Remarkable, expansive archive from the distinguished career of United States Army officer Thomas Francis Hickey (1898–1983), who served from 1916 to 1958 and attained the rank of lieutenant general. A veteran of World War I, World War II, and the Korean War, he held key commands including the 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, and Third U.S. Army. Highly decorated, Hickey's honors include the Purple Heart, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Air Medal, and Legion of Merit. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
The archive is highlighted by two letters signed by George S. Patton, commending Hickey for efficiency in organizing a 1939 Military Demonstration and Pageant at Fort Myer, Virginia, and thanking him for a letter; a letter signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, appointing Hickey as director of the Net Evaluation Subcommittee; a letter signed by President John F. Kennedy, recognizing his vitally important work on that subcommittee; and two letters signed by Richard Nixon, thanking him for input concerning conflicts with Vietnam and North Korea. Other especially notable autographs include: Alexander M. Haig (TLS), Robert S. McNamara (TLS), F. Cardinal Spellman (3 TLSs), Mark W. Clark (SP and 6 TLSs), Geoffrey Keyes (2 TLSs), and Syngman Rhee (SP, signature faded).
Ephemera from throughout Hickey's career includes:
- two World War I-era field message books, mostly filled out in pencil.
- a binder containing over 150 official papers from his early military career, ranging from 1917 through 1948, with letters and documents including military orders, extracts, and correspondence, many pieces marked "Confidential" or "Restricted," with rosters of troops sent to France for duty in World War I, a small hand-drawn map of western Germany, daily reports, memoranda, and similar documents. Especially interesting are 1918 orders to "deceive the enemy as to the amount of activity in this sector" by halting vehicles, preferably under cover, during the passage of airplanes in daylight or clear nights.
- a binder containing over 130 official papers from his later career, ranging from 1949 to 1969, with various military travel orders, special orders, telegrams, memoranda, and official correspondence.
- a variety of Hickey's promotion certificates, chronicling his career from 1916 to 1954, with several chipped and torn on the edges.
- an oversized folding map headed "Gesamtplan von Wien," demarcating areas controlled by the United States, Russia, France, and Britain.
- a WWII-era laminated, double-sided map of Mindanao Sea and Agusan Valley, Philippines, produced in 1944 by the Army Map Service.
- four WWII-era Army Air Forces silk maps from the Pacific Theater, labeled as "No. 20 Amboina / No. 21 Halmahera," "No. 23 North Celebes / No. 24 South Celebes," "No. C-41 Mindoro Island / No. C-42 Samar Island," and "No. C-43 Mindanao Island / No. C-44, North Borneo."
- a WWII-dated spiral-bound "Roster of General Officers, U.S. Army Forces, Pacific," marked "Secret," dated September 5, 1945.
- a booklet entitled "The Corps in Korea: A Brief Informal History of IX Corps," reproduced by mimeograph process, Hq IX Corps, APR 14, 13 June 1955.
- a 40 x 26.5 World War I-era artillery guidon of Company F of the 7th Machine Gun Battalion, part of the 3rd Division, with frayed corners and a split to the central seam.
- a fine 'sendai hira' Japanese silk.
- a 43 x 31 Korean War-era flag of the 82nd Airborne Division, featuring its insignia at center, edged in golden fringe.
- a 47 x 30.5 Korean War-era flag of the IX Corps, featuring its insignia at center, edged in golden fringe.
- a 43 x 31 post-Korean War-era flag of the Third Army, featuring its insignia at center, edged in golden fringe.
- over 150 photos, ranging in size from 2.25 x 3.25 to 8 x 10, dating to World War I, World War II, and Korean War eras, showing a variety of subjects, with some affixed within a scrapbook. In addition to many photos showing Hickey himself, among the subjects depicted are Douglas MacArthur, Matthew Ridgway, Richard Nixon, Lyman Lemnitzer, the grave of General George S. Patton, cavalry troops, and Army athletics squads.
- a group of fourteen 9.5 x 7.5 photographs of Hickey's retirement ceremony at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, all developed by the "Psy War Photo Lab."
Full descriptions of the highlighted letters:
George S. Patton
TLS signed "G. S. Patton, Jr.," one page, 8 x 10.5, Headquarters, Fort Myer, Virginia letterhead, April 19, 1939, in part: "You are hereby highly commended for your superior efficiency in conducting public relations and publicity functions in connection with tthe presentation of the 1939 Military Demonstration and Pageant conducted at this station April 14th, 15th and 16th, 1939."
World War II–dated TLS, signed "G. S. Patton, Jr.," one page, 8 x 10.5, April 19, 1943, in part: "Thanks very much for your nice letter of the 15th. My only regret in the matter is that you and a lot more like you are not here."
Dwight D. Eisenhower
TLS as president, signed "Dwight D. Eisenhower," one page, 8 x 10.5, White House letterhead, November 27, 1958, in part: "Upon the nomination of the Chairman of the Net Evaluation Subcommittee, I hereby appoint you to serve as Director of the Subcommittee's Staff in the preparation of the evaluation reports which are considered annually by the National Security Council…You will have in this assignment a notable opportunity to continue your distinguished service to your country, and I wish you every success in carrying out the task which lies ahead."
John F. Kennedy
TLS as president, signed "John Kennedy," one page, 7 x 10.25, White House letterhead, December 27, 1961, in part: "Dear General Hickey: Before your tour of duty as Director of the Net Evaluation Subcommittee Staff comes to a close at the end of this month, I want to express my appreciation and that of a grateful nation for the service you have rendered during these past three years. After completing a distinguished career in the Army you heeded an additional call to duty to serve during a critical period in a position of great trust, preparing objective evaluations of vital importance to my predecessor and me, to our senior governmental advisors, and to the security of the nation. You have discharged your responsibilities with outstanding effectiveness and have established a sound basis for continued progress in the future. Your continuing interest in our country's welfare has been an example to us all."
Richard Nixon
TLS, signed "Richard Nixon," one page, 7.25 x 10.5, personal letterhead, October 17, 1967, in part: "While I am not yet a candidate, I shall take the liberty of writing you again when my final decision is made. In the meantime, I deeply appreciate the benefit of your thoughts on the issue of Vietnam. For some time I have disagreed with the means with which the Administration is seeking to achieve America's goals in Southeast Asia, and one of those areas of disagreement is in American policy toward the Soviet Union, the chief provisioner of the North Vietnamese."
TLS as president, signed "Richard Nixon," one page, 6.75 x 8.75, White House letterhead, May 13, 1969, in part: "I was very pleased to see your 'Letter to the Editor' in the New York Times of April 29, and I want to thank you for your sturdy defense of my reply to the shooting down of our reconnaissance plane by North Korea." Affixed to a larger notebook page, and accompanied by an original vintage glossy 4 x 5 photo of Nixon meeting with Hickey in 1953.
