Listen to the instructions about V-Mail in the 1943 program, "Report on sending mail to servicemen." Courtesy of the Library of Congress (Marine Corps Combat Recordings RGA 8763 PNO 22-25).
Audio courtesy Library of Congress (Marine Corps Combat Recordings RGA 8763 PNO 22-25)
"Report on sending mail to servicemen," 1943 (2min 12sec)
Delays can be avoided, and your letters more expeditiously handled, if they are properly addressed. Always remember to use the soldier’s full name and rank, his army serial number, his service organization and unit, and his army post office number. The army postal service is now dispatching some twenty million pieces of mail overseas every week, making this the greatest overseas mail handling problem ever confronted by any postal system, either in peace time or during war. You should do your part in assisting the army postal service to get these letters to the men at the front by using extreme care in addressing your letters and by using V-mail when writing to soldiers overseas. Remember, when you write, use ‘V’-mail. Always exercise care in addressing overseas mail. Use the latest address provided by the soldier, as he is in the best possible position to know what it is.
Remember that mis-addressed mail means long delays in transit and delivery. To avoid loss through enemy action while en route, use V-mail. Make your letters cheery, eliminate bad or depressing news. Write clearly, and legibly. When sending packages, make certain they are packed securely. Always take the destination involved into consideration when considering overseas mail transit time. Delays in overseas mail in wartime are unavoidable. Don’t add to this by improperly or insufficiently addressing his mail.
