Mauldin stamp info and minor rant

[jgawne]

Postal Service Issues 'Bill Mauldin' Postmark at Ft. Jackson Post Office

New stamp, issued March 31, honors Pulitzer-Prize winning Army cartoonist

 

Famed WWII “Stars and Stripes” magazine and Pulitzer-Prize winning cartoonist Bill Mauldin will be honored with a U. S. postage stamp nationwide on March 31, 2010. In an effort to celebrate the new stamp, the employees of the Ft. Jackson Post Office will provide a special postmark (art attached) on that day as “Willie and Joe Station” for the famous characters in his cartoons.

 

A special unveiling of the Bill Mauldin stamp will be held in the studios of WIS TV10 on the Sunrise Show that day. The print of the stamp will be presented to Henry Howe, III, Curator, US Army Finance Corps Museum. Ft. Jackson has four museums, the U.S. Army Adjutant General Corps Museum, U.S. Army Chaplain Museum, the Basic Training Museum and the U.S. Army Finance Corps Museum, all of which are free and open to the public.

 

“Ft. Jackson is a great place, we’re proud to serve the personnel here,” said Station Manager Michelle Murphy, “and it’s exciting that we’re honoring Bill Mauldin for his part in upholding morale during World War II.”

 

The postmark is free, but must be applied to First-Class postage. Customers may request it at the Ft. Jackson Post Office Wednesday, March 31, 2010 and it will be available by mail until Friday, April 30, 2010 by mail. Requests must be postmarked by April 30, 2010, and sent to: Bill Mauldin Postmark, Ft. Jackson Branch, Bldg. 4400 Columbia, SC 29207.

 

 

So, the most important infantrymen in WW2 are being honored at the:

U.S. Army Adjutant General Corps Museum,

U.S. Army Chaplain Museum,

the Basic Training Museum

U.S. Army Finance Corps Museum,

 

Jeeesh! It's a nice stamp. I hope there is one for the enlisted men!

[willysmb44]

Jeeesh! It's a nice stamp. I hope there is one for the enlisted men!

They’re having an event with the Mauldin family as well, at the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Mauldin biographer Todd Depastino will be there as well. Click here for details. I would have gone there myself (even though I live several states away) but my parent’s 50th anniversary is the next day in Florida and we’ll be there at the time the stamp is released.

[jgawne]

but Jackson is the "official" first day stamping of the thing.

 

I guess the New Mexico event IS the one for enlisted men !

[101CH47]

Postal Service Issues 'Bill Mauldin' Postmark at Ft. Jackson Post Office

New stamp, issued March 31, honors Pulitzer-Prize winning Army cartoonist

 

Famed WWII “Stars and Stripes” magazine and Pulitzer-Prize winning cartoonist Bill Mauldin will be honored with a U. S. postage stamp nationwide on March 31, 2010. In an effort to celebrate the new stamp, the employees of the Ft. Jackson Post Office will provide a special postmark (art attached) on that day as “Willie and Joe Station” for the famous characters in his cartoons.

 

A special unveiling of the Bill Mauldin stamp will be held in the studios of WIS TV10 on the Sunrise Show that day. The print of the stamp will be presented to Henry Howe, III, Curator, US Army Finance Corps Museum. Ft. Jackson has four museums, the U.S. Army Adjutant General Corps Museum, U.S. Army Chaplain Museum, the Basic Training Museum and the U.S. Army Finance Corps Museum, all of which are free and open to the public.

 

“Ft. Jackson is a great place, we’re proud to serve the personnel here,” said Station Manager Michelle Murphy, “and it’s exciting that we’re honoring Bill Mauldin for his part in upholding morale during World War II.”

 

The postmark is free, but must be applied to First-Class postage. Customers may request it at the Ft. Jackson Post Office Wednesday, March 31, 2010 and it will be available by mail until Friday, April 30, 2010 by mail. Requests must be postmarked by April 30, 2010, and sent to: Bill Mauldin Postmark, Ft. Jackson Branch, Bldg. 4400 Columbia, SC 29207.

So, the most important infantrymen in WW2 are being honored at the:

U.S. Army Adjutant General Corps Museum,

U.S. Army Chaplain Museum,

the Basic Training Museum

U.S. Army Finance Corps Museum,

 

Jeeesh! It's a nice stamp. I hope there is one for the enlisted men!

 

 

You do realize that all of the places you have listed are open to all ranks. There are no officer only or enlisted only museums or post offices.

[jgawne]

It's a sarcastic comment related to his famous sunset cartoon-

[tredhed2]

It's a sarcastic comment related to his famous sunset cartoon-

 

U R 2 funny.....

[Wailuna]

"Beautiful view! Is there one for the enlisted men?"

[jgawne]

This is my father's (A WW2 infantry private turned infantry officer) favorite Mauldin cartoon. It took me years to understand it. I'm not sure today's army would really get it.

[willysmb44]

It's a sarcastic comment related to his famous sunset cartoon-

For what it’s worth, I got the joke, of course, Jon. For those unfamiliar, the joke was regarding this cartoon.

[Abby K-9]

I must be old because I got the joke right away.

 

It would make a lot more sense if the special postmark were available through the Fort Drum Post Office, since this is where Mauldin trained with the 45th Infantry Division in World War II and where he drew many of the early comics of Willie and Joe in training - like the one where the bucket of water is frozen solid. I wonder how Fort Jackson got to be "the place"?

[hbtcoveralls]

Ft Jackson being a basic training post is where today's Army really comes from. The young men and women who graduate from training there are the direct descendents of Mauldin's Willy and Joe. They are the citizen soldiers. So, while I agree that it may not be as historically important to Bill Mauldin personally, It says alot about the respect the Army has for Willy and Joe. I think that rather than some possibilities, (fts Benning and Bragg for example) it is refreshing to see the stamp come out where most everybody will be "just" a private.

Just my own opinion and anti-rant.

Tom Bowers

[cutiger83]

I ran to Fort Jackson at lunch today and picked these up. Thanks so much for letting me know about the special post mark! ....Kat

 

[cutiger83]

[hbtcoveralls]

 

Thanks for posting Kat, I thought about heading down today after work, but with I-385N closed I couldn't have made it back in time for an evening appointment. It sure looks good and was a long time in coming.

Tom Bowers

[jgawne]

Yeah, that's neat!

 

As much as I moan, I am still REALLY happy that the stamp was issued at all. It sure beats many of the designs they come out with.

 

Maybe we should lobby for a KILROY stamp?

[jgawne]

In case anyonne feels they missed out- you can buy first day of issue stamped envelopes in both the regular and super extra fancy color printed ones at the USPS web site.

[gpw_42]

USPS website it is, for me. My local PO has little in the way of special interest stamps, and it's cheaper to just mail order than drive to another PO. Jon, thanks for the tips - I'm looking forward to getting these stamps!

 

Steve

[jgawne]

They actually are pretty cool. (the stamps and the covers). The post office just charges you $1 extra for as much as you want to order. The first day covers are something like .82

[willysmb44]

I was in Florida for my parent’s 50th anniversary when this came out and couldn’t get any until I got back home. When I did, ALL the local post offices were sold out of them except for one, who had only three sheets of them. I bought them all and it seems I won’t be getting any more, darn it.

My pal Todd Depastino really came through for me, though, when he was at the official “roll out” for the stamp with the Mauldin family. Not only did he get me a few stamped envelopes with the special event postal cancel, he also got me a copy of the event program, signed by almost every one of the special guests, including several of Bill’s family!

[willysmb44]

Here's what I mentioned in my last post: