Posted on Jul 15, 2015
Who remembers standing in formation for mail call? Does the military still conduct mail call?
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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
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
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 377
LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend 1SG John Jekel for responding.
I posted a parallel question on pay call around the same time I posted this question.
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/who-remembers-pay-call-what-country-ies-did-you-receive-pay-call-in
I posted a parallel question on pay call around the same time I posted this question.
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/who-remembers-pay-call-what-country-ies-did-you-receive-pay-call-in
Who remembers pay call? What country(ies) did you receive pay call in? | RallyPoint
I remember pay call while being stationed in Bamberg, Germany in the early 1980's. I think pay call was only used for forces stationed overseas [expect that includes all Navy vessels as well] where a choice of currency to receive your pay made sense. Pay call made sense when many service members did not have direct deposit for their salary. I don't know if pay call still exists and where it is used. [Update July 19] I was an infantry training...
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Getting a letter or pictures from home has a profound effect on a soldier. I don't know if they still do mail calls the way they use to...now that we're in the age of constant contact. An actual physical hand written letter will lift someone way more than an electronic text message. I hope people will remember that.
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend SN Jeremiah Passmore for responding so eloquently. I concur with your assessment that a written letter is so much more meaningful than a text message in general. Having a written letter allows us to reread it when we feel inclined to do so.
FYI LTC (Join to see) COL (Join to see) CPO John Bjorge PO2 (Join to see) PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SPC Nancy Greene SPC Margaret Higgins PO3 Phyllis Maynard Sgt Kelli Mays SGT Kim Pratt Kim Bolen RN CCM ACM Maj Kim Patterson Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. SMSgt David A Asbury SMSgt Lawrence McCarter
FYI LTC (Join to see) COL (Join to see) CPO John Bjorge PO2 (Join to see) PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SPC Nancy Greene SPC Margaret Higgins PO3 Phyllis Maynard Sgt Kelli Mays SGT Kim Pratt Kim Bolen RN CCM ACM Maj Kim Patterson Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. SMSgt David A Asbury SMSgt Lawrence McCarter
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend SGT Frank Pritchett for responding and making us aware that you well remember mail call. Did you have mail call after BCT/AIT?
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend and sister-in-Christ SPC Margaret Higgins for making us aware that when you stationed in Pirmasens, Germany; you had mail call. Hopefully all the mail you received was pleasing to you.
FYI PO3 Phyllis Maynard SSgt Marian Mitchell Sgt Kelli Mays SPC Nancy Greene SPC Chris Bayner-Cwik SSG Diane R. SPC Diana D. Christine C Cullinan TSgt Joe C. SMSgt Lawrence McCarter SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D SPC Matthew Lamb COL Mikel J. Burroughs SSG Donald H "Don" Bates SP5 Jeannie Carle
FYI PO3 Phyllis Maynard SSgt Marian Mitchell Sgt Kelli Mays SPC Nancy Greene SPC Chris Bayner-Cwik SSG Diane R. SPC Diana D. Christine C Cullinan TSgt Joe C. SMSgt Lawrence McCarter SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D SPC Matthew Lamb COL Mikel J. Burroughs SSG Donald H "Don" Bates SP5 Jeannie Carle
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SPC Margaret Higgins
LTC Stephen F. - Our Most Adored Brother-in-CHRIST, Steve, yes, as I recall, my mail was very pleasing to me.
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In Basic TNG, I remember mail call and push ups. Get too many letters and you did 10 push ups for each piece over one letter.
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend CPT Carolyn Andrews for making us aware that you memories of mail call in basic training include the requirement to perform 10 correct push-ups for each piece of mail over letter per day.
FYI SPC Margaret Higgins SPC Nancy Greene Lt Col Charlie Brown SPC Chris Bayner-Cwik PO3 Phyllis Maynard SPC Chris Hallgrimson Sgt Kelli Mays SGM Gerald Fife SMSgt Lawrence McCarter GySgt Thomas Vick PO2 (Join to see) SSgt (Join to see)
FYI SPC Margaret Higgins SPC Nancy Greene Lt Col Charlie Brown SPC Chris Bayner-Cwik PO3 Phyllis Maynard SPC Chris Hallgrimson Sgt Kelli Mays SGM Gerald Fife SMSgt Lawrence McCarter GySgt Thomas Vick PO2 (Join to see) SSgt (Join to see)
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend SFC (Join to see) for making us aware that you remember mail call formation in Basic Combat training and that it was a huge event for you.
FYI LTC (Join to see) LTC Greg Henning LTC (Join to see) MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. SFC Greg Bruorton SFC (Join to see) MSG Felipe De Leon Brown SGT Steve McFarland SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D SGT Michael Hearn SSG Robert Mark Odom SPC Margaret Higgins SPC Nancy Greene SGT Denny Espinosa SGT Robert Pryor
FYI LTC (Join to see) LTC Greg Henning LTC (Join to see) MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. SFC Greg Bruorton SFC (Join to see) MSG Felipe De Leon Brown SGT Steve McFarland SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D SGT Michael Hearn SSG Robert Mark Odom SPC Margaret Higgins SPC Nancy Greene SGT Denny Espinosa SGT Robert Pryor
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Formation? More like front leaning rest. We earned our mail after push-ups for each piece. The price doubled for packages. I was the one person in the platoon who only sent 2 and only received 3 letters through basic and AIT.
That number is misleading. My family called out of concern because I had neither called nor written home after reception. Drill sergeant went nuts on me then ordered me to write. For letter sent number one I didn’t have any stamps and the runner told me he would put one on for me. Fast forward one week and my name got called. The drill sergeant looked at the envelope and realized it was returned with no stamp and his wrath was even worse.
I felt elementary as I scratched out a letter in front of and dictated by him. After that I purchased the Sunday paper, clipped coupons, and sent them home on Mondays for the rest of AIT. There was no sending it with the runner. My drill sergeant took on that responsibility because he had “a feeling that I would fuck it up”.
That number is misleading. My family called out of concern because I had neither called nor written home after reception. Drill sergeant went nuts on me then ordered me to write. For letter sent number one I didn’t have any stamps and the runner told me he would put one on for me. Fast forward one week and my name got called. The drill sergeant looked at the envelope and realized it was returned with no stamp and his wrath was even worse.
I felt elementary as I scratched out a letter in front of and dictated by him. After that I purchased the Sunday paper, clipped coupons, and sent them home on Mondays for the rest of AIT. There was no sending it with the runner. My drill sergeant took on that responsibility because he had “a feeling that I would fuck it up”.
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend SFC Bruce Smith for responding and making us aware that many of your mail call formations you spent significant time in the front leaning rest [between pushups down to standard - no doubt]
Well it seems the runner was not true to his word. From the gist of your testimony it seems your Drill Sergeant was actually looking out for you.
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs SGM Mikel Dawson SFC William Farrell SSG Stephen Rogerson SPC Margaret Higgins Capt (Join to see) LTC (Join to see) TSgt David L. SGT Denny Espinosa SSG Donald H "Don" Bates
Well it seems the runner was not true to his word. From the gist of your testimony it seems your Drill Sergeant was actually looking out for you.
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs SGM Mikel Dawson SFC William Farrell SSG Stephen Rogerson SPC Margaret Higgins Capt (Join to see) LTC (Join to see) TSgt David L. SGT Denny Espinosa SSG Donald H "Don" Bates
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SFC Bruce Smith
LTC Stephen F. I knew he was looking out for me. It wasn’t my first time away from home but it was the first time she couldn’t pick up the phone and call me.
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend PO2 (Join to see) for responding and making us aware that mail call 'made your day.' FYI PO3 Phyllis Maynard SPC Margaret Higgins PO2 Frederick Dunn CPO Charles Helms PO1 John Miller PO2 Jonathan Scharff LCDR (Join to see) CMC Robert Young CWO3 Dave Alcantara PO1 John Johnson LTJG Richard Bruce
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend SSG Donald H "Don" Bates for responding and letting us know that you always had a great time at mail call when assigned to APO 20, Chunchon So Korea.
FYI Sgt John H. TSgt Joe C. MSG Felipe De Leon Brown SFC William Farrell SPC Margaret Higgins COL Mikel J. Burroughs 1SG Michael Blount LTC Wayne Brandon LTC (Join to see) SSG Stephen Rogerson SSG Robert Mark Odom SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D SGT (Join to see) MSgt Robert "Rock" Aldi
FYI Sgt John H. TSgt Joe C. MSG Felipe De Leon Brown SFC William Farrell SPC Margaret Higgins COL Mikel J. Burroughs 1SG Michael Blount LTC Wayne Brandon LTC (Join to see) SSG Stephen Rogerson SSG Robert Mark Odom SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D SGT (Join to see) MSgt Robert "Rock" Aldi
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