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Maj Gen St Clair Streett Signed 1923 Bank Check
Alaska Flight Leader
Black Wolf Squadron Commander, Future Head of SACDESCRIPTIONAn original 1923 bank check from The Riggs National Bank of Washington, D.C., check number 385, filled out and signed by St. Clair Streett.Dated April 8, 1923, the check is made out to "Cash" in the amount of $5.00 and bears Streett's full signature across the bottom.The reverse carries a period bank endorsement stamp from the District National Bank of Washington, D.C. and small cancellation punch holes consistent with a processed and cleared check of the era, a normal and expected feature of period bank paper.At the time this check was written, Streett was a captain commanding the headquarters detachment at Bolling Field in Washington, D.C., just two and a half years removed from the flight that made him famous.In 1920 he led the Army Air Service's "Black Wolf Squadron" on the first flight from New York to Nome, Alaska and back, a 9,000 plus mile round trip that earned him the Mackay Trophy and the Distinguished Flying Cross.He went on to serve as aide to airpower advocate General Billy Mitchell, flying as navigator during Mitchell's controversial 1921 bombing demonstrations that sank the captured German battleship Ostfriesland, and published his own account of the Alaska expedition in National Geographic in May 1922, less than a year before this check was written.Streett's career continued well beyond this check. He later served as a test pilot and chief of the Flying Branch at Wright Field, Ohio, setting an unofficial two-person altitude record in 1928, commanded the 3rd, 2nd, and 13th Air Forces during World War II, and helped organize the postwar Continental Air Forces, which was redesignated the Strategic Air Command in March 1946.As SAC's deputy commander, Streett ran the new organization's day-to-day operations for its first seven months while Commanding General George Kenney completed a prior assignment with the United Nations.A printed research card identifying Streett and summarizing his career is affixed to the reverse of the check for reference and stays with the item.Images are scanned at 600dpi so you can review every detail before you buy.Every effort is made toward fact checking and provenance, including background research through news and historical archives. If any listing is incorrect in any way and you're unsatisfied with the item, please connect with me and I'll make it right. Orders placed before Noon CDT ship same day via Ground Advantage with tracking.Returns accepted on all items exceeding $25 in cost. All shipments receive rigid, professional packaging, sealed and protected in acid free sleeves. Shipping is free and already built into the price, so the BIN price is exactly what you pay, no surprise shipping costs at checkout.CONDITIONThe check is in generally good, legible condition for its age, with light overall toning to the paper and gentle handling creases consistent with a check that was written, deposited, and cleared through the banking system a century ago. Small cancellation punch holes are present, along with a period bank endorsement stamp on the reverse, both standard for processed checks of this era rather than damage. A printed paper research card is adhered to the back of the check, covering part of the original endorsement stamp; it is affixed with adhesive and has not been tested for removal. The signature itself is clear, bold, and fully legible. Approximate size is 7.5 x 3 inches.
