Howell M. Forgy
n.p., January 25, 1943
"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!"- Only Known War-Dated Affirmation of Famous Quote by H. M. Forgy
ALS

An exceedingly rare autograph letter from Howell Forgy (1908-1983), a Naval chaplain stationed at Pearl Harbor who was famously quoted as saying, "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition." 1p on U.S. Navy letterhead, 7.25" x 10.5", n.p., January 25, 1943. Signed at conclusion as "Chaplain Howell M. Forgy," he writes to a young boy scout who inquires whether he truly said the iconic phrase, which Forgy confirms. By this point, the Chaplain's words had already been made into the popular war song of the same name. Letter exhibits expected folds and handling creases. Gentle toning throughout. Else, near fine. This is possibly the only war-dated example of Forgy writing out his famous quote, and one of only two known examples overall!

He writes in full:

"Dear Ben,
Your letter of November 1 just reached me today aboard this cruiser.
I am very pleased to enclose my autograph and I did say 'Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition,' on that terrific day of December 7th, 1941.
May I convey my best wishes to you and the members of Troop 326.
I was in scouting myself for nearly ten years and at one time was scoutmaster of Troop 8 of Philadelphia Penn, so I'm all for you and the good work you are doing.
If I ever get to Washington I hope I might have the opportunity of meeting Troop 326 and meet you all."

After enlisting in the Navy in 1940, Forgy became a lieutenant with the Chaplain Corps stationed aboard the U.S.S. New Orleans at Pearl Harbor. The ship, then under repair on the night of December 7, 1941, was without power when the Japanese attacked. Its crew was forced to break the locks on the ammunition boxes as the keys could not be located, and every man with no specific job at the moment formed ammunition lines to get the shells to the guns. Chaplain Forgy was among the crewmen in line and, observing their fatigue, began patting them on the backs saying, "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition."

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 7.25" x 10.5"
  • Medium: ALS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

by University Archives
July 28, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
88 Danbury Road
Suite 2A
Wilton, CT, US 06897

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000