WWII Victory Mail

With a massive quantity of mail going back and forth between families and troops during WWII, Army post offices, fleet post offices and US post offices flooded with mail. In 1945, 2.5 billion pieces went through the Army Postal Service and 8 million pieces through Navy post offices.

V-mail or “Victory mail” was a temporary postal system put into place and used between June 1942 and November 1945. This system provided quick mail service overseas. Letters written on a special form would be photographed on microfilm and the microfilm transported, reproduced and delivered. This method saved shipping and airplane space sorely needed toward the war effort.

We still mail cards, letter and packages to loved ones today, although mail volume has decreased in recent years. (Covid-19 has also decreased the amount of business advertising in the mail.) Much of the time, however, we use email, texting and social media to connect with others these days.

Let’s revive the fine art of letter-writing this Christmas season! Use one of the prompts below to compose a letter to a loved-one. Add a drawing or some holiday doodles to give it some festive pizzaz! You can even mail a special package to someone.

Prompts:

1. What I wish for you for Christmas.

2. I miss you because...

3. I would like to tell you about...

4. In my home we have been....

5. Christmas makes me feel....

Source and Photo credit: National WWII Museum