Military

Topical Reference Page
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Hometowns Honor Their Returning Veterans stamp, 1995

Find resources related to the military on the National Postal Museum's website.

Object Spotlight

Some of the eligible voters from Highland County, Ohio were not at home for the state election in October 1864. Service with the Union army had brought them to Atlanta, Georgia. However, with a recent provision enacted by the Ohio legislature, they were able to vote absentee. This pre-printed envelope contained a tally sheet of votes from the soldiers of Highland County at the Field Hospital 2nd Division 23rd Army Corps.

Exhibition

Over two million American military service men and women were stationed in Europe when the declaration of Armistice on November 11, 1918 effectively ended World War I. The deployed service personnel of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) transitioned from combat readiness, advanced to occupy Germany and began preparations to demobilize. Many, who had hoped to return home to the United States by Christmas 1918 could not, but with the help of the Red Cross, military and postal officials already had plans to deliver Christmas by mail.

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February 2, 2018 - September 5, 2018
Exhibition

World War I was a watershed for global political, economic, and social change, and for women’s rights and labor in the United States. During the war, women officially served in and alongside the military in unprecedented numbers and in ways that shaped the professionalization of women’s work. Through the letters and artifacts of four women, visitors can explore unique, personal perspectives on life, duty, and service during the war.

Image: Army nurse, Camp Sherman, Ohio, 1918
Grace (Mechlin) Sparling Collection, Gift of Lillian S. Gillhouse, Women’s Memorial Foundation Collection

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November 10, 2011 - Permanent
Exhibition

Soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen anxiously awaiting mail delivery is a familiar scene from movies, newsreels, and documentary photographs. Mail call is the moment when the frontline and home front connect. This exhibition tells the history of military mail from the American Revolution to 2010: How does this mail reach its destination? What roles does it play? Why does it influence morale? The exhibition explores the great lengths taken to set up and operate postal services under extraordinary circumstances. It also features letters that reveal the expressions, emotions, and events of the time. On the battlefront and at home, mail provides a vital communication link between military service personnel, their communities, and their loved ones.

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Related Blogs

The Henry A. Meyer Collection of French Revolution and Napoleonic Covers

Organized as a series of story boards recounting the history of the French Revolution and Napoleonic era, the 14 volume Henry A. Meyer collection offers a spellbinding account of historical events alongside an astonishing collection of letters and covers that bring these events to life. A recent condition survey and repair project highlighted the value of this extraordinary collection and its potential for continued scholarly research. Learn more about the collection and its significance, the recent work done to stabilize the collection, and the potential future projects related to digitization and research.
 

Pictures from the Front: The Illustrated Covers of Jack Fogarty

Corporal Jack Fogarty found a way to satiate his artistic inclination throughout his deployment during WWII by illustrating the envelopes of mail he sent back to the states. Specifically, these adorned letters were sent to the wife of his good buddy, John MacDonald, with whom he served in the same unit. McDonald was the unit’s censor and many of the envelopes bear his markings. Learn more about this curious triangle and the unique collection of covers that became part of the postal museum’s collection.

Write that Letter Home, Part III: Senders, Recipients, and the Content of World War I Correspondence

The National Postal Museum is pleased to share part one of a three-part blog series by historian and philatelic genealogist James R. Miller.

Write that Letter Home, Part II: Senders, Recipients, and the Content of World War I Correspondence

The National Postal Museum is pleased to share part one of a three-part blog series by historian and philatelic genealogist James R. Miller.

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