This is a ceremonial Model 1852 sword issued to an officer in the US Navy meant to honor tradition, honor, prestige, and leadership in the Navy. This sword was attained by my great-grandfather after his service in the Pacific theater of WWII and symbolizes his time as an officer in the Navy. Before the war, my great-grandfather attended college and, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, decided to join the Navy to defend the country. His college education and intelligence made him a natural officer, so he served as such. During the war, he served on the battleship USS Iowa as an assistant supply officer, er where he attained the rank of lieutenant commander. He was notable on the ship for being well liked, as he successfully petitioned for the crew to get air conditioning in the hotPacificc. He served during many key battles like the Marshall Islands, Leyte Gulf, and Okinawa aboard the battleships and lived through historical events like kamikaze attacks on his own and friendly ships as the war came to a close. The Iowa was in Tokyo Bay at the war's end when the treaty was signed, and my great-grandfather was there as well. This was an important chapter in my great-grandfather's life and shaped him as a man; the effects of that change have rippled down generations. It shows our family as one willing to fight for freedom and work hard for what we believe in. The sword is a symbol of tradition, and my family's and America's willingness to fight to keep ourselves free from what seeks to hinder our value of freedom, a theme seen often throughout US history.

– HS

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