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
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Edited 4 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 377
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LTC Stephen F., I do not recall mail call. My service during the Cold War, really was so very long ago for me. And I didn't get very much mail.
I Think I remember it in Basic Training; but I am not sure.
I Think I remember it in Basic Training; but I am not sure.
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend and sister-in-Christ SPC Margaret Higgins for responding and letting us know you had mail call in basic training.
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I only experienced Mail Call in Basic and in Tech School. Once assigned to a duty station, personal mail was processed and delivered via the Post Office. Deployed, we delivered all mail via OMC/to units... although I don't know how each unit handed out personal mail.
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you SSgt Anthony Parmenter, I was hoping for response from somebody who had significant military postal service experience. I expect the military postal service delivered to major units and those units or headquarters coordinated delivery as far forward as necessary. I expect mail went to "bases, camps, and posts" so that service members could open and read their mail in more secure areas.
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SPC William Weedman
LTC Stephen F. I was not the mail clerk from my unit but I was good friends with the young lady who was in Korea. The Army mail clerks (there is an MOS for that) would sort mail by unit for our camp then it was up to the unit mail clerks (whoever was assigned to that duty) to sort it. Since our unit had less than 100 soldiers they simply sorted mail alphabetically in to a 10 x 10 set of boxes that were labeled by name. Anything that didn't fit was set to the side.
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LTC Stephen F.
Didn't you have mail call while you were in basic training SGT Frank Leonardo? Did you go through Basic in 1998 or 1999?
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LTC Stephen F.
How was mail call handled for you while downrange CW3 (Join to see)? Several members have said they had mail boxes. I expect those were located at a base camp or headquarters staff location.
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CW3 (Join to see)
Where I was there was an actual post office run by service members, our admin guy would make runs every couple of days to do pick ups based on our unit then would bring back to the TOC for distribution
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LTC Stephen F.
I expect you have some good memories from mail call SPC Jeffrey Bly. Hopefully many more good memories than bad,
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Mail Call was always a big deal. However, outside of Boot Camp, the Navy doesn't really do formations... What really surprised me was that the Postal Clerk rating was subsumed into the Yeoman rating in the Navy. I would have thought that a Supply rating would have made more sense, but then the Navy has made a lot of strange rating changes in the last 15 years...
LTC Stephen F.
LCDR Rabbi Jaron Matlow, I concur with your assessment about the impact of mail call. I would say that mail call has been a great motivator for service members for probably as long as the US Postal Service has been in existence.
It is interesting that the Navy subsumed the Postal Clerk rating into Yeoman versus the Supply Corps. It might be interesting to learn the logic and rationale behind that decision. Of course that assumes that the decision was not based on Navy politics :-)
It is interesting that the Navy subsumed the Postal Clerk rating into Yeoman versus the Supply Corps. It might be interesting to learn the logic and rationale behind that decision. Of course that assumes that the decision was not based on Navy politics :-)
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Suspended Profile
I have found many of their changes over the last 20 years puzzling. But it's no skin off my nose, since I retired 15 years ago...
LTC Stephen F.
Skin off the nose is an interesting expression LCDR Rabbi Jaron Matlow. I have skinned my nose from falls, etc. which tend to be painful and I have had my nose examined by dermatologists which can lead to a good removal of skin from my nose :-)
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Suspended Profile
I'm sorry you're dealing with nose issues. It's one of the few things that are near impossible to protect from the sun. That damage, along with other things, such as Alcohol, can cause lots of skin problems on the nose. The ears are also a problem...
I'm glad you're getting the care you need...
I'm glad you're getting the care you need...
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In basic I got letters from my female cousin, and her best friend who was my girlfriend at the time. Of course the drill sergeant opened the mail in your presence looking for contraband. If pictures were included, you had to show them to him. Low and behold my cousin sent me pictures of their pajama party. Girls in PJs everywhere, smoking pot and drinking. The Drill sergeant just shook his head and said loud enough for the formation to hear,” I just knew you were a @$&?ing doper! Does your recruiter know about this?” I was allowed the pictures, but you can imagine how the rest of basic, and AIT went for me...
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend SPC Ted Heath for making us aware about your experience of mail call in BCT. It is interesting to me that the Drill Sergeant opened your mail in front of you instead of having you open it up in front of him [chain of custody, etc.].
I hope he only opened letters that were bulky [including photos, etc.] as opposed to every letter.
In any event the fact that he reviewed the photos from your cousin after he opened the letter and found no contraband and he obviously intended to embarrass you is humorous but sad to me.
FYI LTC John Shaw LTC Orlando Illi Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj Kim Patterson SMSgt Lawrence McCarter SGT (Join to see) SMSgt David A Asbury TSgt David L. SPC Nancy Greene SPC Chris Bayner-Cwik SPC Chris Hallgrimson SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D
I hope he only opened letters that were bulky [including photos, etc.] as opposed to every letter.
In any event the fact that he reviewed the photos from your cousin after he opened the letter and found no contraband and he obviously intended to embarrass you is humorous but sad to me.
FYI LTC John Shaw LTC Orlando Illi Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj Kim Patterson SMSgt Lawrence McCarter SGT (Join to see) SMSgt David A Asbury TSgt David L. SPC Nancy Greene SPC Chris Bayner-Cwik SPC Chris Hallgrimson SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D
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SPC Ted Heath
LTC Stephen F. actually, you were correct. I opened it in front of him. Opening all letters with something rigid in them was commonplace.
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During my last deployment, I made an effort to make sure i wrote actual letters to my family. I figured its something different for them to see and touch in the future rather than an email that will never be seen again. I did that every 2 weeks even if its just a quick note. Suggest to have all deployed personnel do the same at some point of deployment. I still see letter from 2006 with my kids box.
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend SFC Dennis Cavaltera for making us aware that you went the extra mile to ensure you sent a physical letter to your family every two weeks while deployed. I expect they treasured those notes. Hopefully they were saved in a special place for/by them. I recommend scanning the letters and any pictures in and creating a folder for each child on a computer and creating thumb drives for each one.
Thank you for the great suggestion for deployed personnel to send physical letters home.
FYI COL (Join to see) LTC (Join to see) SFC James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SFC (Join to see) CH (MAJ) William Beaver CPT (Join to see) MSG (Join to see) 1SG Michael Blount TSgt Joe C. Maj Marty Hogan CWO3 (Join to see) SFC William Farrell SSG (Join to see) COL Mikel J. Burroughs
Thank you for the great suggestion for deployed personnel to send physical letters home.
FYI COL (Join to see) LTC (Join to see) SFC James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SFC (Join to see) CH (MAJ) William Beaver CPT (Join to see) MSG (Join to see) 1SG Michael Blount TSgt Joe C. Maj Marty Hogan CWO3 (Join to see) SFC William Farrell SSG (Join to see) COL Mikel J. Burroughs
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SFC Dennis Cavaltera
LTC Stephen F. i will sure do that. Thanks for the great idea and to ensure the documents were saved forever.
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Until I joined the Army I never knew a simple 4-letter last name could be so difficult to pronounce.
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LTC Stephen F.
How to you pronounce your last name SSG Dennis R. - I expect it is not 'Reap' like reap and sow? It it pronounced rape derived from the Irish O Reabaigh?
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SSG Dennis R.
LTC Stephen F. - Reap & sow is correct. How it became Reap from O'Reabaigh has long been head-scratcher. I've known the old spelling for 40+ years.
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MSG Felipe De Leon Brown
SSG Dennis R. You would be astonished if you knew how often my first name is mispronounced. Even when I have tried to patiently correct the person mispronouncing it, they still can't do it. Sigh....
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my metierioligical friend SSgt (Join to see) for responding and making us aware that you well remember mail call as well as phone booths and some kinds of clot machines :-)
FYI SMSgt Lawrence McCarter TSgt Joe C. Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Lt Col Charlie Brown LTC (Join to see) SPC Margaret Higgins PO1 William "Chip" Nagel MSgt Robert "Rock" Aldi SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D SGT Denny Espinosa SSG Stephen Rogerson
FYI SMSgt Lawrence McCarter TSgt Joe C. Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Lt Col Charlie Brown LTC (Join to see) SPC Margaret Higgins PO1 William "Chip" Nagel MSgt Robert "Rock" Aldi SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D SGT Denny Espinosa SSG Stephen Rogerson
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SSgt (Join to see)
We even had running water and a rooster for each morning to get up. Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen LTC Stephen F. COL Mikel J. Burroughs
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