Boy Scouts of America 30.6.1950

Were you ever a scout or a girl guide? I was a scout when in school. And I still remember those wonderful days, especially the ones at the camps and the lovely campfires, and the the barbeques! Well then, heres something for you guys.

This 1950 3¢ sepia coloured Boy Scouts Issue by USPS. It is the first U.S. stamp honouring the Boy Scouts of America. It was issued at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, on the opening day (30.6.1950) of the 1950 Boy Scout Jamboree at that location. The stamp features three Scouts of varying ages (and Scouting levels). The Statue of Liberty is shown in the background, reflecting the 1950 Scout theme “Strengthening the Army of Liberty.”

The Scouts camped in the same area as George Washington’s Colonial Army had during the famous 1777-78 winter at Valley Forge. President Harry S Truman spoke at the Jamboree, as did Army General Dwight D. Eisenhower.  

The story goes that in 1909, an American William Boyce got lost on the foggy streets of London. A boy came to Boyce’s aid, guiding him to his destination. When Boyce offered a tip, the boy said, “I am a Scout. I won’t take anything for doing a good turn.” Boyce was so impressed with British Scouting that he brought the idea home to the U.S., founding the Boy Scouts of America in 1910.

What began as a single “good turn” on a foggy London night has evolved into a national organization whose members do good deeds. During World War I, Scouts sold $147 million in Liberty Bonds. 

Today, Scouting continues to provide an educational program for boys, taught through fun and adventure.  With overnight camping, many physical activities, and volunteer work, Boy Scouts gain self-confidence plus learn teamwork and responsibility. The results are impressive – one of every three West Point cadets was a Boy Scout. And, of the 435 members of the 2010 U.S. Congress, 211 participated in Scouting.

The Boy Scouts of America kicked off their 100th anniversary with “A Year of Celebration.” The campaign challenges Boy Scouts to serve as leaders, learn new skills, and participate in community service projects in 2010. Altogether, over 2.7 million U.S. Scouts will step up to the challenge.

Thank you Merja.

U.S. Railroad Engineers 29.4.1950

The 1950 3¢ violet brown U.S. Railroad Engineers Issue commemorates the role of railroad engineers in building America. The stamp pictures folk hero John Luther “Casey” Jones, who was killed in a train wreck near Vaughn, Mississippi.

The stamp was issued in Jackson, Mississippi, on 29.4.1950, the 50th anniversary of Jones’ death. Jones, who lived in Jackson, had a reputation for always staying on schedule – “get there on the advertised,” as the saying went. He was also known for his unique use of a train whistle. 

On April 29, 1900, Jones had completed a run to Memphis, when he volunteered to return to Canton, Mississippi, that same night to replace another engineer who was sick. While trying to make up time, he collided with the rear cars of another train that had moved to a side rail, but still was partially on the main rail. Jones was able to reduce his speed from 75 miles per hour to 35, which helped prevent likely deaths among the passengers. He was the only fatality.

Thank you Merja.

Wilbur and Orville Wright - 46th anniversary of the first successful flight of a heavier-than-air powered aircraft 17.12.1949

Wilbur and Orville Wright

The cover displayed has a 6c USA stamp showing Wilbur and Orville Wright and the aircraft they flew on that historic day in 1903. The stamp commemorates the 46th anniversary of the first successful flight of a heavier-than-air powered aircraft. The flight took place on December 17, 1903, at 10:30 a.m. at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where this stamp was postmarked after issue on 17.121949. Two bicycle repairmen from Dayton, Ohio (Orville and Wilbur Wright) took their revolutionary vehicle to Kitty Hawk, where steady winds and high sand dunes were ideal for their gliding hobby. The very first flight lasted a mere 12 seconds and covered 120 feet.

The Wright brothers, Orville (August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948) and Wilbur (April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912), were two American brothers, inventors, and aviation pioneers who were credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903. From 1905 to 1907, the brothers developed their flying machine into the first practical fixed-wing aircraft. Although not the first to build and fly experimental aircraft, the Wright brothers were the first to invent aircraft controls that made fixed-wing powered flight possible.

The brothers' fundamental breakthrough was their invention of three-axis control, which enabled the pilot to steer the aircraft effectively and to maintain its equilibrium. This method became standard and remains standard on fixed-wing aircraft of all kinds. From the beginning of their aeronautical work, the Wright brothers focused on developing a reliable method of pilot control as the key to solving "the flying problem". This approach differed significantly from other experimenters of the time who put more emphasis on developing powerful engines. Using a small homebuilt wind tunnel, the Wrights also collected more accurate data than any before, enabling them to design and build wings and propellers that were more efficient than any before. Their first U.S. patent, 821,393, did not claim invention of a flying machine, but rather, the invention of a system of aerodynamic control that manipulated a flying machine's surfaces.

They gained the mechanical skills essential for their success by working for years in their shop with printing presses, bicycles, motors, and other machinery. Their work with bicycles in particular influenced their belief that an unstable vehicle like a flying machine could be controlled and balanced with practice. From 1900 until their first powered flights in late 1903, they conducted extensive glider tests that also developed their skills as pilots. Their bicycle shop employee Charlie Taylor became an important part of the team, building their first aircraft engine in close collaboration with the brothers.

The Wright brothers' status as inventors of the airplane has been subject to counter-claims by various parties. Much controversy persists over the many competing claims of early aviators.

Washington & Lee University 12.4.1949

This 3¢ ultramarine stamp on the cover was issued by the US to commemorate the Washington & Lee University. The first day of issue postmark was appropriately done on 12.4.1949 at Lexington, Virginia where the University is located. 

In 1749, Scotch and Irish immigrants founded Augusta Academy, a small classical school deep in the Virginia valley. Inspired by patriotism, the academy trustees changed the name to Liberty Hall. The school relocated to nearby Lexington four years later and was empowered by the Virginia legislature to grant degrees.

In 1796, George Washington saved the struggling academy with an endowment of $20,000 worth of stock. In gratitude, the trustees changed the school’s name to Washington Academy. The donation was one of the largest in its time and continues to offset the university’s operating budget today.

General Robert E. Lee served as the president of the university in 1865. Under Lee’s direction, the university offered the first college courses in business and journalism in the United States. After Lee’s death in 1870, trustees changed the name toWashington and Lee University.

Thank you Merja for this nice FDC.

Clara Barton - Founder of the American Red Cross7.9.1948

Clara Barton (1821-1912). She was the Founder of the American Red Cross. U.S. 3¢ stamp honours Clara Barton. The stamp pictures Barton and the Red Cross symbol.

Barton was born in North Oxford, Massachusetts. Her service during the American Civil War earned her the title “Angel of the Battlefield.” After touring Europe, where she learned of the International Red Cross, she returned home and started a similar organization, the American Red Cross, in 1881.

Thank you Dear Merja for this nice FDC.

The Star Spangled Banner 9.8.1948

The Rose pink U.S. 3¢ stamp on this first day of issue cover was issued on 9.8.1948 at Frederick, MD which honoured the  “Star Spangled Banner” author Francis Scott Key. The stamp features a portrait of Key, American flags from 1814 and 1948, his family home, and Fort McHenry.

“The Star Spangled Banner”. “And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?” A respected young lawyer from Georgetown named Francis Scott Key (1779-1843) authored this excerpt, from one of the most famous songs ever written about the American flag. 

The story of Key’s experience leading up to the writing of this song begins in August 1814. After the British invaded America’s capitol, and set fire to the White House, Key learned that a loved and respected physician from Upper Marlboro named Dr. William Beanes had been taken by the British. The locals asked Key to rescue him. 

Key, joined by Colonel John Skinner, boarded the Tonnant, where Beanes was being held, and convinced the British to release him. However, the three had overheard many of the British plans and were held behind the British fleet. On September 13, 1814, the 25-hour battle began. The British fired 1,500 bombshells through the air by dawn onSeptember 14, at which point they retreated. 

Key anxiously waited in the darkness. He hoped that when light came, he might still see the flag. And, much to his relief, “the flag was still there.” 

The poem he wrote on that day was set to the tune of the British drinking song, “The Anacreontic Song,” by John Stafford Smith. The Navy first officially used the song in 1889. President Herbert Hoover officially made it the national anthem in 1931 by a congressional resolution.

Thank you Dear Merja for this memorable First Day Cover.

100 years of U.S. friendship with Canada

This 3¢ U.S. stamp on the cover postmarked on the first day of issue at the Niagara Falls, NY on 2.8.1948commemorates 100 years of U.S. friendship with Canada. The stamp pictures the old Niagara Railway Suspension Bridge. This bridge was replaced by a double-decker suspension bridge in 1855 and later the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge in 1897.

The Niagara River and Niagara Falls. A spectacular natural wonder, Niagara Falls is located on the Niagara Riverbetween the Great Lakes of Erie and Ontario. The Niagara River forms the border between the U.S. and Canada. There are two waterfalls, the Horseshoe Falls, which is in Canada, and the American Falls, which is in New York. About 10 million people visit Niagara Falls each year.

The Horseshoe Falls is the most dramatic – 85% of the Niagara River’s water flows over it. Horseshoe Falls is 167 feet high and about 2,600 feet wide. The American Falls is 176 feet high and about 1,000 feet wide.

Over the years, the United States and Canada have reached many agreements over the management of the Niagara River and Niagara Falls. Bridges crossing the Niagara River serve as reminders of the excellent relations between the two nations.

Thank you Merja for this nice cover.

100 years of women’s progress

U.S. 3¢ dark violet Progress of Women stamp commemorates 100 years of women’s progress. The stamp pictures Elizabeth Stanton, Carrie C. Catt, and Lucretia Mott. It was issued on 19.7.1948 at Seneca Falls, NY.

100th Anniversary of the First Women’s Rights Convention. This stamp was issued on the 100th anniversary of the first women’s rights convention in the United States. Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) and Lucretia Coffin Mott (1793-1880) met while attempting to attend the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London – women were kept from attending the conference. Outraged, the two pledged to work for women’s rights.  Stanton and Mott organized the first women’s rights conference in the U.S. in Seneca Falls, New York. Many famous Americans, including Frederick Douglass, attended the two-day event, held July 19-20, 1848.

Carrie Chapman Catt (1859-1947) was the president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association from 1900-04 and from 1915-20, when the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote. In 1920, she founded the National League of Women Voters, now the League of Women Voters, to teach women about public affairs so that they could vote wisely. Today, the Women’s Rights National Historic Park stands near the spot where the Seneca Falls Convention was held.

Thank you Merja for this memorable cover which was postmarked at Seneca Falls, NY on the first day of issue.

Mississippi Territory

This U.S. 3¢ stamp commemorates the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Mississippi Territory. The stamp pictures an outline of the territory, the state as it is today, the seal of the Mississippi Territory, and Governor Winthrop Sargent, the territory’s first governor.

Winthrop Sargent (1753-1820) was the First Governor of the Mississippi Territory. Winthrop Sargent was born into a prominent family in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Sargent attended Harvard before serving in the Continental Army, where he achieved the rank of major. As secretary of the Ohio Company he was one of the founders of Marietta, Ohio. Sargent served as Secretary of the Northwest Territory, and was twice wounded during a losing battle against Indians at Fort Recovery in 1791.

President John Adams appointed Sargent the first governor of the Mississippi Territory in 1798. The capital city was Natchez where this cover was postmarked on the first day of issue of this stamp on 7.4.1948. Well educated and a skilled leader, Sargent made many contributions to the Mississippi Territory, including authoring its legal code. However, he was not popular with the people, nor was he particularly powerful politically. When Thomas Jefferson was elected in 1801, he removed Sargent from office.

Sargent chose to remain near Natchez, and he became a cotton planter. In 1820, three years after Mississippi achieved statehood, he decided to move to Philadelphia. Sargent died during the voyage to Pennsylvania.

And Yes! I have been quite clumsy here, in trying to blank out the recipients name and address :-((

George Washington Carver 5.1.1948

The U.S. 3¢ Bright red violet stamp issued on 5.1.1948 honours  Dr. George Washington Carver and features the same format as the 1940 Famous American Scientists stamps.

George Washington Carver (1864-1943) was a Scientist. This black American scientist achieved international fame for his agricultural research. Carver developed more than 300 products that could be produced from peanuts.  Products invented by Carver include a milk substitute, face powder, printer’s ink, and soap. He created principles of crop rotation that deeply impacted farming in the South. President Booker T. Washington appointed him Director of Agriculture at the Tuskegee Institute and he received an honorary doctorate from Iowa’s Simpson College where he was the first black student. This cover was fortunately postmarked at the Post Office at Tuskegee Institute.

Thank you Merja.

100th Anniversary of Settlement in Utah 24.7.1947

The U.S.3¢ Utah Centennial Dark violet stamp on this first day of issue cover commemorates Utah’s 100th anniversary of settlement in 1847. The stamp pictures the first settlers entering the Great Salt Lake valley and the words “This is the Place,” which Brigham Young said when he led early pioneers on their trip to Utah.

Very appropriately this cover is postmarked in Salt Lake City.

The first Americans are believed to have reached Utah, were members of a fur-trading party. They crossed present-day northern Utah in 1811-12. Famous frontiersman and scout Jim Bridger is thought to be the first white person to see the Great Salt Lake. Bridger tasted the salty water in the winter of 1824-25, and believed he had discovered an ocean. Soon, more trappers and traders came to Utah. A trail connecting Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Los Angeles, California, brought many travelers through the area. 

The Mormons belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, founded by Joseph Smith in Fayette, New York, in 1830. Smith died in 1844, and Brigham Young became the church’s leader. The Mormons were persecuted because of their beliefs. As a result, they moved around the U.S., looking for a place to settle. After moving from Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois, Young led the Mormons west.  In 1847, they reached the Great Salt Lake. The Mormons settled the area.

In 1849, the Mormons established the Perpetual Emigrating Fund. This fund helped Mormons move to Utah. It operated for about 40 years and attracted about 50,000 Mormons to Utah. These people came from other areas of the United States as well as Denmark, England, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, and Wales.

Thank you Merja for this nice cover.

General Stephen Watts Kearny Liberates Santa Fe

The U.S. 3c Brown violet stamp on this first day of issue (16.10.1946) cover commemorates the 100th anniversary of Stephen Watts Kearny entry into Santa Fe. The stamp pictures the raising of the American flag above the governor’s palace in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1846. Thank you Merja for this historic cover.

General Stephen Watts Kearny Liberated Santa Fe. On August 18, 1846, General Stephen W. Kearny (1794-1848) used diplomatic finesse, rather than military might, to persuade more powerful Mexican forces to withdraw from Santa Fe during the Mexican War (1846-1848). General Kearny was able to take the city without firing a shot. After taking control of Santa Fe, Kearny established a civil government and promised a democratic administration of the area. These actions secured popular support for the U.S. government and its troops. The general went on to play a key role in the U.S. victory in the Mexican War.

Honouring All those Who Served in World War II - 9.5.1946

On 9.5.1946 the U.S.P.S issued a 3c Dark Violet coloured stamp which honours all those who served in World War II and pictures the Honourable Discharge Emblem. The five stars surrounding the emblem honour those who died in each of the five services – Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Marines, and Merchant Marines.

Honourable discharge is awarded to those members of the armed forces who receive a rating between good and excellent for their service. While honourable discharge is usually given to those who complete their term of service, those who don’t complete their time can receive the honour as long as they’re not discharged due to misconduct. 

Some of the earliest plans for a multi-service honourable discharge patch originated in 1919 following World War I. The purpose was to allow honourably discharged individuals to wear their uniforms for a period of time after leaving the service if they couldn’t afford civilian clothes. 

The original design was similar to the eagle on the Presidential Seal, but was changed in 1943 by Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. Their new design pictured an eagle preparing for flight, called “The Eagle Has Flown.” This was meant to coincide with the first major Allied offensives against the Axis Powers in the Pacific and Atlantic. 

The emblem is also known by another name – “ruptured duck.” This name is credited to actress Hedy Lamarr, wife of Friedrich Mandl, the owner of several German arms factories. According to legend, Lamarr created countless revolutionary ideas that improved weapon design and production, which made her husband jealous. Fearing for her life, Lamarr fled to America where she described her escape as a hazardous flight on a “segeltuch gebrochen” or broken bird. The more literal translation of the phrase is “ruptured duck.” When women working in the manufacturing plant that produced the honourable discharge pins heard her story, they began labelling the boxes “ruptured ducks” partially in honour of her story and also because policy at the time required that boxes be labelled something other than what they contained, to confuse enemy agents.

The Army and Navy adopted the honourable discharge emblem on November 9, 1944. The emblem is worn above the right front pocket on all outer uniforms. 

U.S. Coast Guard in World War II

U.S. 3c stamp postmarked at New York on 10^th November 1945 commemorates the role of the U.S. Coast Guard in World War II. The stamp pictures two coast guard landing crafts with a supply ship in the background.

During World War II, the U.S. Coast Guard served as a specialized branch of the U.S. Navy. It was responsible for stowing dangerous cargo, protecting ships and ports, and establishing beach-landing methods.

World War II killed more people, destroyed more property, disrupted more lives, and probably had more far-reaching consequences than any other war in history. It hastened the fall of Western Europe as the centre of world power, and led to the rise of the Soviet Union. The development of the atomic bomb during the war opened the nuclear age.

World War II began when Germany invaded Poland in 1939 and ended when Germany, and later Japan, surrendered in 1945. Military deaths as a result of World War II numbered about 17 million. Also, millions of civilians died because of starvation, bombing raids, massacres, epidemics, and other war-related causes. Battles were fought all over the world: Southeast Asian jungles, North African deserts, Pacific islands, Soviet battlefields, Atlantic beaches, and European streets. The war reshaped the map of Europe and changed the American way of life.

Thank you Merja for this nice cover.

“Toward United Nations, April 25, 1945”

In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt championed a new world peace organization to replace the League of Nations. World nations agreed to an international conference to be held in San Francisco and a postage stamp issue was planned to commemorate the event. Intended as a postal ambassador for the fledgling organization, the stamp was assigned a 5¢ value, the first class surface rate to foreign destinations.

Various designs were rejected and on 3 April, Roosevelt suggested the wording “Toward United Nations, April 25, 1945”, and a simple border with the words over a laurel branch. Roosevelt died two weeks before the conference and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing added his name to the design as the quote’s author.

Thank you My Dear Friend Merja for this rare cover, postmarked in San Francisco on 25^th April, 1945.