The outbreak of war changed the lives of many Americans including baseball players. On January 14 1942 baseball commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis wrote a query to President Roosevelt questioning the status of the national pastime during the war. Roosevelt responded on January 15 with what has become known as the green light letter. The letter made apparent that players eligible for military duty must serve but that baseball was an essential form of recreation for a country at war. Joe DiMaggios marital status gave him a 3-A draft classification meaning that he was safe from the draft. However Joe knew that his 3-A draft classification would not protect him forever and at all if he were to be divorced. He did know that he would eventually have to enter the service. On December 3 1942 DiMaggios wife Dorothy Arnold moved into a hotel in Reno in order to secure a divorce. DiMaggio met with Prescott Sullivan of the San Francisco Examiner over the telephone in early January. Sullivan asked Joe about his marriage much to Joes displeasure. Sullivan then asked if it would affect his preparation for the coming season. Joe replied Spring training wont concern me this year. The next day it was printed in the newspapers that DiMaggio planned to enlist. Offered here are three incredible documents pertaining to DiMaggios service in the United States Army. The first is an application for National Service Life Insurance dated February 17th 1943 just two days after DiMaggio entered active duty. The policy drawn for $10000 in coverage was signed at Presidio of Monterey Calif. The document filled out with Joe D.s name address rank (Pvt.) and serial number names his soon to be ex-wife Dorothy Arnold and his son Joseph Paul DiMaggio III as beneficiaries. Best of all the document bears a large graceful never before seen full Joseph Paul DiMaggio Jr. signature. In the spring of 1944 an Army survey showed that most professional ballplayers had not served overseas the Army transferred Joe and some other major leaguers to Hawaii to compete in baseball games. The Navy followed and did the same. Military commanders were taking these baseball games very seriously and transferred the best talent in the armed forces to Hawaii. Joes Army teammates included Red Ruffing Johnny Beazley and Joe Gordon. The Navy team had a club with major leaguers Phil Rizzuto Pee Wee Reese Johnny Mize and Dominic DiMaggio. The two teams played a ten game series in the middle of the summer with the Navy winning eight of the games. Joe however was out the entire series with stomach trouble. He was diagnosed with ulcers and he spent the rest of his time in the military going back and forth from Army hospitals. In August 1945 as the war was ending Joe was sent to an Army Hospital in St. Petersburg for treatment on his ulcers. The New York press downplayed Joes illness. In this hospital Joe signed the two subsequent documents offered here. The documents dated August 25th 1945 designate the removal of ex-wife Dorothy Arnold as a beneficiary and naming his son and mother Rose DiMaggio as such. Both documents bear rare full Joseph P. DiMaggio Jr. signatures. Joe was released from the Army on September 14 1945. He rejoined the Yankees in the spring of 1946. This group of documents is simply fascinating relating to critical events in the life of an American icon. While DiMaggio signatures bearing his gull given name have been seen on other documents most notably checks we are unaware of any other examples bearing his middle name and Jr. Each document has been framed and show no significant condition flaws.

Pre-certified by PSA/DNA.