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Show On Land or Sea, Navy P.O. Gets Mail Delivered System of 5,000 Branches Reaches Remotest Islands One of the most gigantic wartime war-time tasks confronting postal men is delivering mall to mobile units of the fleet The mounting tempo of operations in the last year means not only that greater distances must be spanned to effect delivery but that a greater number of men are Involved in combat activities increasing in-creasing all classes of mail to an unprecedented volume. During March, 1945, 86,132,623 pieces of letter mall passed through Fleet Post Office, San Francisco to navy, marine and coast guard personnel per-sonnel In the Pacific. In March, 1944, there were 36,686,937 pieces of letter mall dispatched to the Pacific showing clearly that the mail volume vol-ume increased well over 100 per cent In one year. It Is expected that it will rise even farther. The nerve center of the navy mall service is in the navy department. Washington, D. C. Here, ship and plane movements are traced and communicated daily to the fleet post offices by wire and airmail. Information In-formation on ship and plane movements move-ments come in from all over the world by radio, letter and messenger. messen-ger. Throughout the world, there are over 5,000 navy post offices, varying greatly in size and appearance-some appearance-some within the United States but the vast majority are on board ship or at advanced bases or on captured and liberated islands. The large ones serving the mobile units are designated desig-nated as fleet post offices. What Navy Men Want. Extensive surveys show that navy, coast guard and marine corps personnel per-sonnel overseas above all want letters let-ters letters giving local news and telling of things done and things planned. Secondly, they want objects ob-jects with a personal sentimental appeal such as photographs, snapshots, snap-shots, drawings made by their youngsters, and newspaper clippings that can be enclosed in these letters. Such surveys also show that they positively know what they don't want They don't want cakes, soft candies, cookies, cigarettes and fan cy toilet kits. These foods do not survive the trip to the Pacific and arrive in a battered, moldy condition. condi-tion. To make sure your package strives st-rives In good condition, the following follow-ing suggestions are outlined: , 1. l'.e a strong container (special (spe-cial boxes are designed for this purpose). 2. Pack each article in shredded shred-ded paper or some filler material to prevent movement inside the package. 3. Inside each package put a sheet of paper with a list of the contents and the full address of the person to whom It Is sent plus your return address. 4. Tie the box with cord, then WRAP It In heavy paper and tie It with strong cord. 5. PRINT the address In Ink directly on the wrapping; don't use gummed labels which fall off when they are subjected to moisture. Experience has shown that a man overseas places a far higher value on a letter from home than a package pack-age of candy, or a long delayed newspaper. Because of the great morale factor, the navy delivers first class mail to the far Pacific as expeditiously ex-peditiously as possible. |
