Posted on Jul 15, 2015
LTC Stephen F.
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I was recently reminded me of the importance and significance of mail call especially in the days before email, cell phones and texting existed in the 1950's 1960's, 1970's and I think through the 1980's. Waiting with anticipation in formation as a young enlisted man in sun, snow, rain or wind for mail call. The weather was much less important than hearing the names of friends called out to get mail and then hearing my own name which was wonderful. Going back to the barracks to smell envelopes from girl friends, read the letters on my bunk.
Later as a cadet at West Point one of the duties of the freshman class known as plebes was to distribute the mail to the upper classmen. It was a very important function and seemed to release a sense of common humanity and a brief period of humane treatment.
After I was commissioned in 1980, my mail was delivered to me except when we were away from home station when we would have mail call or else wait until the operation was over and then mail would be distributed.
Images: mail call wingen 70th ID WWII; Korean War early afternoon mail call brought these Thunderbirds in the 279th Infantry; Mail call! Pfc Glen Zachery of the 19th Army Postal Unit brings a sack of mail to the
Edited 4 y ago
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Responses: 377
SGT Tech Supply Ncoic
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Yes, I remember mail call. I hate it when people order too much and you always had that one guy that had tons of stuff. Lol
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
4 y
Thank you SGT (Join to see) for responding and making us aware that you remember mail call and that you 'hate' it 'when people order too much and you always had that one guy that had tons of stuff.' :-)
FYI Cynthia Croft SPC Margaret Higgins SSgt Marian Mitchell Sgt Jackie Julius SP5 Jeannie Carle SPC Chris Bayner-Cwik SPC Diana D. SSG Diane R. LTC Hillary Luton Maj Kim Patterson Sgt Kelli Mays SFC (Join to see)MSG Andrew White 1SG Steven Imerman COL Mikel J. Burroughs Col Carl Whicker Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen MAJ Rene De La Rosa TSgt David L.
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CH (MAJ) Wesley Sullivan
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In Desert Storm I served with the 47th CSH. A female cook wrote to Ann Landers stating how difficult it is to get "feminine products" when in a combat zone. When the "short" combat time was over and we returned to our rear location, there was an enormous pile of packages at least 5 feet high and 15 feet in diameter waiting for her. She had to go to the mail facility and "lay hands" on 7 semi trucks of mail waiting for her!
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
4 y
Thank you my friend CH (MAJ) Wesley Sullivan for responding and letting us aware that in "Desert Storm I served with the 47th CSH. A female cook wrote to Ann Landers stating how difficult it is to get "feminine products" when in a combat zone. When the "short" combat time was over and we returned to our rear location, there was an enormous pile of packages at least 5 feet high and 15 feet in diameter waiting for her. She had to go to the mail facility and "lay hands" on 7 semi trucks of mail waiting for her!"
Wow, I expect after that experience there may have a military moratorium of sending mail to Ann Landers for shortage of supplies.
FYI SPC Margaret Higgins Cynthia Croft SGT Cynthia Barnard Sgt Kelli Mays SFC (Join to see) Lt Col Charlie Brown LTC Hillary Luton PO3 Phyllis Maynard SP5 Jeannie Carle SPC Chris Bayner-Cwik SPC Diana D. SSG Diane R. Maj Kim Patterson Sgt Kelli Mays ] SGT Elizabeth S SSgt Marian Mitchell Jennifer Lee (Doerflinger) Hill
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SPC Nancy Greene
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I Definitely Remember’Mail Call’!
My Drill used to open my packages in Basic and display the contents in front of my company.
So, when I received a Valentine package from my mom, he was shocked!
I had her send me red lingerie! He pulled out the contents of my package. As he ‘displayed’ red lingerie; he was REALLY embarrassed. He NEVER opened my mail again.
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
4 y
Thank you, my friend SPC Nancy Greene for responding and letting us know that you 'Definitely Remember ’Mail Call’!' It was great that you coordinated with your mom and she sent red lingerie to you for valentines day. Hopefully in addition to not o0pening any more of your mail he became more respectful of other soldiers mail.

FYI SGT Mark Anderson SGT Jim Arnold SSgt Terry P. Maj Robert Thornton SFC (Join to see) SGT Steve McFarland MSG Andrew White Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. MSG (Join to see) COL Mikel J. Burroughs SPC Margaret HigginsSP5 Jeannie Carle SPC Chris Bayner-Cwik SPC Diana D. SSG Diane R. LTC Hillary Luton Maj Kim Patterson Sgt Kelli Mays SFC (Join to see)
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SP5 Dennis Loberger
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It is hard to explain to the young folks today why mail call was such a big deal. The avenues open today to stay in touch have taken the Christmas feeling away
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
4 y
Thank you SP5 Dennis Loberger for responding and making us ware that for you it "is hard to explain to the young folks today why mail call was such a big deal. The avenues open today to stay in touch have taken the Christmas feeling away."
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SGT Kevin Hughes
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This has to be one of my favorite threads of all time! Even with the Dear John's and Dear Jane's - and I think there is only one fruitcake in the world...and we just keep regifting it! Man, you can't help but have memories pound up the steps from your past when you read these things. Wonderful.
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
4 y
Thank you SGT Kevin Hughes for responding and making us aware that mail call "has to be one of my favorite threads of all time! Even with the Dear John's and Dear Jane's - and I think there is only one fruitcake in the world...and we just keep regifting it! Man, you can't help but have memories pound up the steps from your past when you read these things. Wonderful."

FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen LTC Greg Henning LTC Jeff Shearer Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. CPT Scott Sharon CWO3 Dennis M. SSG William Jones SGT (Join to see) [ SP5 Mark Kuzinski CPT Paul Whitmer1SG Steven ImermanSSG Samuel KermonSP5 Geoffrey VannersonCol Casey "Radio" G.SFC John LichSgt Jackie JuliusSGT Jim Arnold Maj Robert Thornton
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SFC Richard Williamson
SFC Richard Williamson
4 y
I, too, remember those dreaded "Dear John" letters; I got two of them, one year apart, from the same girl. Slow learner.
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SGT William Nixson
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And I remember those incredible highs when I got mail; and also those "damn - does anyone even know I'm alive?" blues when my name wasn't called.
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
4 y
Thank you SGT William Nixson for responding and making us aware that you well "remember those incredible highs when I got mail; and also those "damn - does anyone even know I'm alive?" blues when my name wasn't called."
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs CPT Paul Whitmer1SG Steven ImermanSSG Samuel KermonSP5 Geoffrey Vannerson
SFC John LichCpl James R. " Jim" Gossett JrPVT Kenneth Krause SPC Jon O.MAJ Raúl RoviraSGT John Melvin
1SG John FairclothSSG Robert Mark OdomSP5 Jesse EngelSPC Matthew LambSSG Robert "Rob" Wentworth
CW4 G.L. SmithSPC Russ BoltonSFC Terry Wilcox
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Sgt Ed Beal
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Wow I am surprised how many say texts, I was in prior to cell technology but would at least expect them to take your phones away during basic.
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
4 y
Thank you Sgt Ed Beal for responding and making us aware that you were in basic "prior to cell technology but would at least expect them to take your phones away during basic."
FYI Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj William W. 'Bill' Price Maj Kim Patterson Maj Marty Hogan MSgt Robert "Rock" Aldi MSgt David Hoffman 1stsgt Glenn BrackinSSgt Corwin WhickerCol Casey "Radio" G.Sgt Jackie JuliusCapt Rich BuckleyTSgt David L. TSgt Joe C. SSG Samuel Kermon
SP5 Geoffrey VannersonSgt (Join to see)
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SP5 Jeannie Carle
SP5 Jeannie Carle
4 y
LOL - I would agree. Altho we ladies DID have a "cosmetic case" which, if locked, was totally private. If it was unlocked during inspections, it was fair game. Nope - in '72 most people didn't truly suspect there ever would be "cell phones". Wouldn't be much point to the "collect calls only - 15 min limit" on Saturdays!
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1LT Peter Duston
1LT Peter Duston
>1 y
I would say from the responses that most of RP's members are old farts! haha
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AN John Filidoro
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We used to look foreword to the Cod to bring mail to the carrier and pray they landed safely. Being at sea we didn’t have phones, email, or internet. I did use the ship to shore radio once, after every time your done talking you say “OVER” so the guy on shore can hit the mike so the person could talk back to ya.
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
4 y
Thank you AN John Filidoro for responding and making us aware that you and your shipmates "used to look foreword to the Cod to bring mail to the carrier and pray they landed safely. Being at sea we didn’t have phones, email, or internet."
Thanks as well for making us aware that you "did use the ship to shore radio once, after every time your done talking you say “OVER” so the guy on shore can hit the mike so the person could talk back to ya."
FYI PO1 William "Chip" Nagel PO1 H Gene Lawrence PO3 Bob McCord PO1 Robert George PO3 Phyllis Maynard FYI PO2 Jeffery Marcussen Sr LTJG Robert M. PO3 (Join to see) PO2 Jonathan Scharff LCDR (Join to see) CMC Robert Young CWO3 Dave Alcantara PO1 John Johnson LTJG Richard BruceSgt Jay JonesCWO3 (Join to see) GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad SPC Americo Garcia
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SP5 Jeannie Carle
SP5 Jeannie Carle
4 y
In AIT I dated a guy who worked at the MARS Station - he "allowed" me to send a telegram to my Mom. I had NO idea she'd panic LMSO - she held onto that for several weeks before her neighbor insisted she open it. She thought (from the movies) that it was telling her I had died.
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SPC Motor Transport Operator
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I remember when our DS would do mail call, he would throw them like boomerangs and we would have to catch the envelope. if not, by God you dropped with it
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
4 y
Thank you SPC (Join to see) for responding and making us aware that you remember when your drill sergeant "would do mail call, he would throw them like boomerangs and we would have to catch the envelope. if not, by God you dropped with it."

FYI LTC Orlando Illi CPT Jack Durish CMSgt (Join to see) MSG Andrew White Sgt Albert Castro SGT Charles H. Hawes SSG Martin Byrne CPT Gabe Snell LTC Greg Henning SGT John MeredithMSgt John McGowanMSgt David M.1SG John MillanTSgt Rodney Bidinger SFC Randy Purham CDR (Join to see) SPC (Join to see) SPC Tom DeSmetPVT Mark Zehner
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SFC Kathy Pepper
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My niece went through Basic Training 20 years after I had gone through, but I still remembered how much it hurt not to get mail from home. To make certain she would not have the same experience, I wrote to her every day (I was also hoping she would do push-ups for each letter). To make her mail stand out, I decorated every envelope (think scrapbooked photo albums) and included a funny saying on the back. When the Drill Sergeants came to one of my envelopes, they would flip it over to read the quote and the entire company would call out, “HAYES.”
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
>1 y
Thank you my friend SFC Kathy Pepper for responding and letting us know that your niece continued your tradition of service and went through Army basic training about 20 years after you.
I am glad you worked to ensure your niece had a better experience at mail call by writing to her every day and that you "decorated every envelope (think scrapbooked photo albums) and included a funny saying on the back."
I am glad that the training company enjoyed the mail you sent and they called out her last name [I expect] of Hayes. :-)
One of my sons went through infantry basic 32 years after I did and 22 years after I commanded an infantry training company at Fort Benning.
FYI SPC Nancy Greene CSM Chuck StaffordPO3 Charles StreichCPL Cadrew StricklandSGM Major StroupeSPC Michael TerrellSPC Darnella ThompsonSMSgt Mark VenzeioGySgt Thomas VickKate WatsonSFC (Join to see)SSG Robert WebsterCPO Arthur WeinbergerSrA Ronald MooreSGT John Podlaski[~'598044:Po1 Robert Payne]SFC Jim RuetherSPC Terry PageCpl Samuel Pope Sr
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