Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Offers Look into Military Mail, Communication

From Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation:

A name is shouted out, and a parcel is handed through the crowd to its eager recipient—mail call is a moment when the front line and home front connect. Letters, news and packages from home unite families, boost morale and, in wartime, elevate the ordinary to the extraordinary.

The traveling version of the National Postal Museum’s permanent exhibition, “Mail Call” explores the history of America’s military postal system and examines how even in today’s era of instant communication, troops overseas continue to treasure mail delivered from home. Organized and circulated by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, the exhibition tells the fascinating story of military mail and communication—from the American Revolution to current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The exhibition will debut Saturday, August 6 at the College Park Aviation Museum in College Park and remain on view through Oct. 16 as the final stop on the original 14-city national tour. A special opening reception, with light refreshments, will be held on Saturday, Aug.13, beginning at 7 p.m. Veterans are encouraged to bring their own letters to read aloud, and guests are invited to bring family letters to share.

Throughout American history, the military and postal service have combined forces to deliver mail under challenging—often extreme—circumstances. But whether it takes place at headquarters or in hostile territory, on a submarine or in the desert, mail call forges a vital link with home.

On the battlefront and at home, mail has long sustained the vital connections between military service members and their family and friends. With compelling documents, photographs, illustrations and audio stations, “Mail Call” celebrates the importance of this correspondence. Visitors can discover how military mail communication has changed throughout history, learn about the armed forces postal system and experience military mail through interesting objects and correspondence, both written and recorded on audiotape. The exhibit offers an appreciation of the importance of military mail and the hard work that has gone into connecting service men and women to their government, community and loved ones at home.

Further information is available through the College Park Aviation Museum website.