Ailes Stephen (1 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Oblong quarto measuring 12" x 8.5". Black cloth over boards. Contains 111 black and white gelatin silver photographs measuring 8" x 10" with typed captions on the verso. Album is near fine with some rubbing and fine linen-backed photographs. An extensive collection of press photographs documenting over a year, between 1964 and 1965, in the career of the then Secretary of the Army under Lyndon Johnson, Stephen Ailes. The photographs are housed in a large heavy-duty album that appears to have been assembled as a keepsake for Ailes. A few of the early images feature handwritten tongue-in-cheek captions. According to the Department of Defense the Secretary of the Army is responsible for "all statutory matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, installations, environmental issues, weapons systems and equipment acquisition, communications and financial management." Throughout the album Ailes is seen attending events, such as West Point graduation, meeting with military officials, and awarding medals. Then Senator Robert Kennedy is seen in 11 of the photographs at functions with Ailes. In one section of images Ailes is seen being briefed on "the functions of some of the range instrumentation devices;" another shows Ailes visiting the White Sands Missile Range. One caption reads, "a static display of the Army's missile power is shown by a White Sands Missile Range officer.as part of the 11th National Conference of Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army." He is also seen awarding certificates to women at the Pentagon and discussing military tactics with an African-American officer. Stephen Ailes became his civilian military career in World War II with the Office of Price Administration after color blindness stopped his military path. After the war he became a lawyer in the DC area with the firm Steptoe and Johnson eventually taking a leave of absence to aid in a "mission to stabilize the government of Greece." From this he gained formal entry into civilian government positions eventually become Under Secretary of the Army under John F. Kennedy in 1961 and by 1964 was promoted to Secretary. He is often cited as the inventor of the Drill Sergeant Program and according to his obituary, "On his watch, the Army dealt with riots in the Panama Canal Zone, where Mr. Ailes helped negotiate a settlement. Army forces also provided disaster assistance after earthquakes in Skopje, Yugoslavia and Anchorage. U.S. troops were dispatched to protect Americans and end a civil war in the Dominican Republic, and Mr. Ailes helped negotiate an agreement with West Germany for joint development of a new tank." In a commencement speech given in 1964 he mentioned troops that had been deployed in Vietnam, though the comment was largely ignored. A large collection of press photographs documenting a year in the career of a top civilian in the military.