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Posts Tagged ‘USPS’

Vietnam Medal Of Honor Recipients To be Recognized On Forever Stamp Sheet

Sunday, March 8th, 2015

Medal of Honor© USPS 2015

Stamps to be Dedicated Memorial Day at Vietnam Veterans Memorial

WASHINGTON — Sun., March 8, marks the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the ground war in Vietnam with the deployment of 3,500 Marines. By war’s end on April 30, 1975, nearly 3 million service men and women fought in the conflict that would take the lives of more than 58,000 Americans.

Of those who served during the Vietnam War, 258 were awarded the Medal of Honor. More than six out of 10 award recipients made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives while performing the courageous acts for which they were later honored. American military advisers had been involved in South Vietnam since the 1950s.

The Postal Service will honor these brave Americans by dedicating the Limited Edition Vietnam War Medal of Honor Prestige Folio Forever stamps on Memorial Day, May 25. The 1 p.m. ceremony, hosted by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, and the National Park Service, will take place at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The event is free and open to the public.

The Prestige Folio stamp sheet depicting many of the nearly 50 living Vietnam War recipients will be previewed later. The folio, which lists the names of all 258 recipients, will be modeled after the World War II and Korean War Medal of Honor Prestige Folio stamp sheets issued in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Nation’s Most Prestigious Military Decoration

The Medal of Honor is our nation’s most prestigious military decoration. It is awarded by the president of the United States on behalf of Congress to members of the armed services who distinguish themselves through “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty” while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States.

The Medal of Honor traces its origins to the first year of the Civil War, when Congress saw the need for a formal means of recognizing or rewarding acts of heroism. In 1861, James W. Grimes, a senator from Iowa, introduced a bill to “promote the efficiency of the Navy” by distributing “medals of honor.” President Abraham Lincoln signed the bill into law on Dec. 21, 1861. Lincoln signed a similar measure on behalf of the U.S. Army on July 12, 1862, and the country had two Medals of Honor: one for sailors, and one for soldiers.

Three Versions of the Medal of Honor

There are now three similar, yet distinct, versions of the Medal of Honor, one for each Military Department (Army, Navy, and Air Force). The medals are similar in that each consists of a variation of a five-pointed star worn around the neck on a light blue ribbon. The Navy version is awarded to those serving in the Navy and Marine Corps, and during times of war, to members of the Coast Guard. The Air Force, which was established as an independent department in 1947, adopted its distinctive Medal of Honor in 1965. The first presentation of the U.S. Air Force’s medal took place in 1967 during the Vietnam War.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

www.usps.com

Delivering The Holidays To Diplomatic And Military Service Members Worldwide – U.S. Postal Service Recommended Mailing Dates

Wednesday, October 8th, 2014

WASHINGTON — Making sure those serving in the nation’s armed forces and diplomatic service receive their presents and care packages in time for the holidays is a priority for the U.S. Postal Service and for friends and family members of military and diplomatic personnel serving around the world. Helping to get packages on their way, the Postal Service offers a $2 per box postage discount on its largest Priority Mail Flat Rate box at $15.45, for mail being sent to APO/FPO/DPO (Air/Army Post Office, Fleet Post Office and Diplomatic Post Office) destinations worldwide.

Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes are available at no cost at either local Post Offices, or ordered online at shop.usps.com. Postage, labels and customs forms can be printed online anytime using Click-N-Ship at cns.usps.com/go.

To ensure timely delivery of holiday wishes by Dec. 25, send cards and packages to military APO/FPO/ DPO addresses overseas no later than the mailing dates listed below.

APO Post

Use the Military Care Kit to Send Presents and/or Care Packages
With Priority Mail supplies as the packaging of choice for families preparing care packages for service members overseas, the Postal Service created a free “Military Care Kit” based on the items most frequently requested by military families.

The kit contains:

§ Two Priority Mail APO/FPO Flat Rate Boxes.
§ Two Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Boxes.
§ Priority Mail tape.
§ Priority Mail address labels.
§ Appropriate customs forms.

To order the kit, call 800-610-8734. Guidelines for packing, addressing, and shipping items to U.S. troops can be found at usps.com/ship/apo-fpo-guidelines.htm.

Addressing the Package
1. Write out the service member’s full name in the address.
2. Include the unit and APO/FPO/DPO address with the 9-digit ZIP Code (if one is assigned). For example:

CPT JOHN DOE
UNIT 2050 BOX 4190
APO AP 96278-2050

SGT ROBERT SMITH
PSC 802 BOX 74
APO AE 09499-0074

SEAMAN JOSEPH SMITH
USCGC HAMILTON
FPO AP 96667-3931

MSG JANE DOE
CMR 1250
APO AA 09045-1000

3. Include a return address.
4. Include the service member’s name and address as well as the sender’s name and address on an index card inside the package in case the label is damaged.