Break Time - Honoring the Fallen

We interrupt our normal growing season with a hobby post that was written back in January just for the purpose of publishing it on Memorial Day.

Postal historians will often explore mail during periods of conflict.  It isn't necessarily an attraction to war or destruction.  Instead, it is an attraction to studying how postal services attempt to solve the problems brought about by war.  However, one still is reminded of the realities of war, as can be seen by the item from WW II shown on the exhibit page below:

It is possible that this letter was not returned to the sender until February of 1945, nearly a full year after it was sent.  One can assume that they likely had already been informed of the addressee's death in battle since it appears to be from a relative.  I can only imagine how it must have felt to have this item arrive in the mailbox 10 months after the death of the person to whom it was written. 

While these people are not known to me in any way other than this envelope and research I undertook to learn more, it still hits home.  We honor the sacrifices of all who have fallen on any side of any conflict.  All the while, we hope that someday we will not need to continue to add to this list.