from their guns, while a squadron of Portuguese airplanes Commander: escorted the NC-4 on its arriTal to Lisbon. A navy boat Commander (USN) John H. Towers (NC-3, Squadron took Lieutenant Commander Read and his crew from Commander) NC-4 to USS Rochester to receive a hero’s welcome Lieutenant Commander (USN) Albert Cushing Read (NC-4, Commander) from United States Navy and Portuguese officials. In Lieutenant Commander (USN) Patrick N. L. Bellinger addition, a popular festival also took place to honor the (NC- 1, Pilot) achievement of the crew of NC-4. Officer: As a signal of respect for the new flying navigators, Commander (USN) Holden B. Richardson (NC-3, Portugal, an old maritime nation, and full of examples of Pilot) historic navigation episodes, granted to all three seaplanes Lieutenant Commander (USN) Marc Andrew Mitscher crewmembers (and another United States Navy Rear (NC- 1, Pilot) Admiral), her most important decoration - the Military Order of the Tower and the Sword (Figure 9).2 The crew Knight: Lieutenant Commander (USN) Robert A. Lavender of the NC-4 then proceeded to take off for Plymouth, (NC-3, Radio Operator) England and anived on May 31 st. Lieutenant (USN) David H. McCulloch (NC-3, Co- pilot) Boatswain (USN) Lloyd R. Moore (NC-1, Engineer) Lieutenant (USCG) Elmer Fowler Stone (NC-4, Pilot) Lieutenant (USN) Walter Hinton (NC-4, Co-pilot) Lieutenant (USN) James L. Breese (NC-4, Reserve Pilot) Ensign (USN) Herbert C. Rodd (NC-4, Radio Operator) Chief Special Machinist (USN) Eugene S. Rhoades (NC-4, Engineer) Lieutenant (USN) Louis T. Barin (NC-1, Co-pilot) Lieutenant (USN) Harry Sadenwater (NC-1, Radio Operator) Machinist (USN) Rasmus Christiansen (NC- 1, Reserve Pilot) Chief Machinist Mate (USN) Clarence Irvin Kesler (NC- 1, Engineer)

Figure 9: The Curtiss NC-4 crew. Left to right: Breese By the Decree of January 14, 1922 (Army Gazette No. 1, Hinton, Rodd, Stone and Read. II Series, 1922) three American units were decorated with the Knight degree of the Military Order of the Tower and Just as a curiosity, three years later (1922) two Portuguese the Sword under the terms of b) article 10th, Decree n° Navy officers, Gago Coutinho (as navigator) and 6.205, November 8, 1919 due to actions in World War I Sacadura Cabral (as pilot), made the first South Atlantic somehow related with the Portuguese war effort in that flying crossing (Lisbon - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), and conflict (Figure 10). were decorated with the Order of the Tower and the Sword also.

By Decree of May 28, 1919 (Government Gazette No. Figure 10: The streamer for the unit award of the Knight degree of the Military Order of the Tower and Sword. 127, II Series, 1919) under the proposal of the Ministry of Navy the following named Navy Officers’ of the 107th Infantry Regiment United States of America were to be decorated with the Military Order of the Tower and the Sword with the 107th Infantry Regiment, formerly the 7th New stated degrees: York Infantry, was a New York State National Guard unit, which changed its name for service in World War I. The 107th shipped out to Europe in Grand-Officer: May 1918 and was placed in the East Poperinghe Rear Admiral (USN) Charles R Plunkett (Commander Line with the rest of the 27th Division, to serve as Destroyer Force, US Atlantic Fleet)

Vol. 59, No. 6 23 a reserve unit. Nonetheless on July 25, 1918 the e Espada. 1. Modell 1808-1832." Orden undMilitaria Magazin, 27th division was slowly rotated into the front line n° 70, February, 1996. in relief of the British 6th Division. On August 31, Altmann, Fred. "Die Geschichte d~s portugiesischen Ordens vom 1918, operations of the Ypres-La Lys Offensive Turin und Schwert." Orden und Ehrenzeichen. BDOS Jahrbuch, 2002. began in an attempt to remove the Germans from Fonseca, Alvaro Augusto da and Chaves, Jogo de Macedoe. Ordens the Dickebusch/Scherpenberg area. On September Honorificas Portuguesas. Lisboa: Livraria Sfi da Costa- Editora, 3, 1918 the Germans withdrew from the area, 1945. marking the successful completion of the Ypres-La Melo, Olimpio de. Ordens Militares Portuguesas e outras condeco- Lys Offensive. From September 24th to October 21. raq6es. Lisboa: Imprensa Nacional de Lisboa, 1923. 1918, the 107th participated with the rest of the 27th Oliviera, Humberto Nuno de. O Brasil na criagfio da Ordem Militar da Division in the successfu! Somme Offensive, which Torte e Espada, a mais alta condecoraggo Portuguesa", Revista do was an attempt to pierce the German’s Hindenburg Mestrado de Histdria (Universidade Severino Sombra, Vassouras, defensive line. Brasil), vol. 9, no 10,2007; (online: http://uss.br/web/arquivos/ Revista_Mestrado vol 9-20.pdf (Junho 2008). 120th Infantry Regiment Oliviera, Humberto Nuno de and Estrela, Paulo Jorge. Ordem Militar da Torre e Espada. Duzentos anos da Histdria de Portugal. 1808- 120th Infantry Regiment was a United States Army 2008. Lisboa: Liga dos Combatentes, 2008. National Guard unit from Wilmington, North Oliviera, Humberto Nuno de and Estrela, Paulo Jorge. "L’Ordre Carolina. Shipped to Europe as part of the 30th Militaire de la Tour et de l’l~p~e, de Valeur, Loyaut~ et M~rite il Division, to serve as a reserve unit. The unit was y a 200 ans." Bulletin de la SocidtO Suisse de Phaldristique, no rotated into the front lines and saw action similar 94, July, 2008a. to other units of the 27th Division. Oliviera, Humberto Nuno de and Estrela, Paulo Jorge. "Wert, Treue, Verdienst: 200 Jahre Militiirorden Vom Turm und Schwert." USS Orion Zeitschrift der Osterreichische Gesellschaft fiir Ordenskunde, USS Orion (AC-11) was laid down by the Maryland OGO, n° 71, August, 2008b. Steel Company at Sparrows Point, Maryland, October Serrano, Maria Alice Pereira de Lima. A Ordem Militar Portuguesa da Torre e Espada. Lisboa: s.l., 1966. 6, 1911, launched March 23, 1912, and commissioned Velloso, Jos~ Eulogio de Souza. Legislag6o sobre Condecoracdes. at Norfolk July 29, 1912. She was assigned to general Nova Goa: Imprensa Nacional, 1905. collier duty with the Atlantic Fleet in September and USS Orion remained in the western Atlantic until Apart the Portuguese legislation the following references were placed in reserve at Norfolk October 9, 1914. Re- used: commissioned December 28, 1914 she continued to serve the Atlantic Fleet until ordered to Cavite http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Fontaine_Maury in January, 1917. When the United States entered http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NC-4 World War I the Orion was still located at Colon but http ://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/S amuel_Morse soon left for Norfolk in May, 1917 and then for the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US S_Orion_(AC- 11) http ://uscgaviationhistory.aoptero.org/coldfusion/medals/citation_ Azores in June. From June until July, 1917 the USS stone_elmer_f_ts.pdf Orion operated in the waters of the Azores. During the http ://www.aviation-history.com/navy/nc4.html latter month she also assisted in placing a defensive http://www.usma.army.mil/Protocol/images/AR840-10.pdf chain across the Portuguese harbor at Ponta Delgada in the Azores. The authors would like to express their gratitude to our friend and fellow OMSA colleague, Russell Furtado, for revising this article. OMSA CONVENTION 2009 Endnotes: 1. On the same occasion, Uriel’s two pilots - Thomas Henry Griffin and Edward A. Hall - and under the same decree, were decorated with the Silver Medal for Distinction mad Reward awarded for August 13-August 16, 2009. Merit, Philanthropy and Generosity (usually known as the Queen Mary II Medal) Amway Grand Plaza Hotel 2. This historic episode, the first trans-Atlantic flight, and specifically the need of a public ceremony for A.C. Read and the crew of NC-4 and the motivated the Lisbon City Council to decree the adaptation of a black and white ribbon on the Lisbon City Medal, which until Devoss Place Convention Center this time was a table medal. The medal was of gilt silver with the Lisbon Coat of Arms on the obverse; and a plain reverse for an 187 Monroe NW engraved commemorative legend. Grand Rapids, Michigan Bibliography: Altmann, Fred. "Der Orden vom Turin und Schwert- Ordem da Torre 616- 776-6400

2 4 JOMSA THE CEREMONY MARKING THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PORTUGUESE ORDER OF THE TOWER AND SWORD

RUSSELL FURTAD0

On May 13, 2008, in a solemn ceremony presided over Portuguese heroes in attendance. Mr. de Oliveira and by the President of the Portuguese Republic, Professor Mr. Estrela were also responsible for authoring and Anibal Cavaco Silva, celebrated the 200-year existence of producing a small booklet outlining the history of the Portugal’s highest military and national award, the Order Order of the Tower and Sword that was distributed to of the Tower and the Sword. The ceremony was held those in attendance. at the Liga dos Combatentes (the Portuguese Veteran’s League) headquarters in Lisbon. The date chosen was the same one, 200 years ago, when the Prince Regent John (later King John VI) created the Order of the Tower and Sword in Brazil, then part of the Portuguese Empire. The ceremony was a true living moment of Portuguese history and valor as most of the living recipients of the Order of the Tower and Sword were able to attend the ceremony. The presence of actual living heroes from the Overseas War who stood united before the gathering made for a true communion of loyalty, valor and merit, which evoked the complete name of the most distinguished of Portuguese Orders. Such a moving gathering of heroes is seldom witnessed.

Figure 2: OMSA members Humberto Nuno de Oliveira (left) and Pauio Jorge Estrela (righ0 give a presentation entitled "Order of the Tower and Sword: 200 Years of Portuguese History."

Figure 1: General Chito Rodrigues, President of the Liga dos Combatentes, opens the ceremony.

The ceremony began with a brief official speech by General Chito Rodrigues, President of the Liga dos Combatentes (Figure 1), followed by a lecture and media presentation entitled "Order of the Tower and Sword: 200 Years of Portuguese History" by OMSA members Humberto Nuno de Oliveira and Paulo Jorge Estrela Figure 3: The President of the Republic (leflfronO awards the (Figure 2). The half-hour presentation highlighted the diploma ofHonorary Membership of Liga dos Combatentes history of the Order of the Tower and Sword through to the fornter President of the Republic, General Ant6nio images of the distinguished Portuguese heroes of the Ramalho Eanes (Grand collar of the Order of the Tower past two hundred years, to include the distinguished and Sword).

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