Purple Heart Postage Stamp Honors Sacrifices of Those Who Served

Tulsa OK — The sacrifices of the men and women in the military will be the focus of attention on November 9, 2007 when the U.S. Postal Service and Chapter 589 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart will unveil the Purple Heart definitive postage stamp during a ceremony at Veteran’s Field, Floral Haven Memorial Gardens. The re-issued 41-cent Purple Heart stamp is now available at Post Offices nationwide.

Tulsa Postmaster Kathy Ervin-Johnson will unveil th0e stamp to recognize and pay tribute to the men and women whose sacrifices have allowed Americans to live in freedom. Joining Ervin-Johnson at the ceremony will be Boyd Barclay, Past Commander, National Military Order of the Purple Heart and representatives from both Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry and Tulsa Mayor, Kathy Taylor’s office.

Ceremonies will include special recognition for attending Postal Purple Heart Medal recipients. “We are honored to pay tribute in this way to all the brave individuals who are dedicated to serving our nation. It is important to recognize the sacrifices that they have made for our freedom”, said Ervin-Johnson.

The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the president of the United States to members of the U.S. military who have been wounded or killed in action.

This is the third time the Postal Service has issued this stamp. The stamp image features a photograph by Ira Wexler of one of two Purple Hearts awarded to James Loftus Fowler of Alexandria, Va. Fowler was a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marines and was serving as battalion commander of the Third Battalion, Fourth Marines, when he received this Purple Heart in 1968, following an action close to the Ben Hai River on the border between North and South Vietnam.

Go to www.usps.com/communications/news/stamps/welcome.htm to see the Purple Heart stamp. Current U.S. stamps and philatelic products, as well as the free USA Philatelic catalog, are available by calling toll-free 800-STAMP-24. A selection of U.S. stamps and gift items are also available online at the Postal Store at www.usps.com/shop. Images of many current, past, and future stamp issues can be found in the Stamp Issues section of the Collector’s Corner.

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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits every address in the nation, 146 million homes and businesses, six days a week. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to pay for operating expenses, not tax dollars. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.