DENVER, CO — The Denver Post Office paid tribute to World War II Medal of Honor Recipient George Sakato at the Stockyard Station Denver Post Office today. His appearance is in anticipation of the World War II Medal of Honor Forever stamp Prestige Folio that will be released on Nov. 11.
Sakato is also a postal retiree who spent 27 years at USPS. He brought several other postal retirees with him on the visit.
According to Denver Postmaster Mark Talbott, Mr. Sakato had a reputation as an exceptional postal clerk.
“He was always humble and the fact that he received our nation’s highest military honor never kept him from working hard each day for our organization, said Talbott.
Sakato will be on hand to unveil the stamps in Washington DC next week at the National World War II Memorial.
“To be part of the stamp dedication is humbling,” said Sakato “I share this honor with all the other brave men and women who sacrificed.”
Write up on George T. Sakato and video
High-resolution images of the stamps are available for media use only be emailing mark.r.saunders@usps.gov.
ABOUT THE STAMP
Available on Nov. 11 as a set of 20 stamps, customers may purchase the stamps at usps.com/stamps, at 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), at Post Offices nationwide or at ebay.com/stamps.
The World War II Medal of Honor Prestige Folio is a new format for stamp introduction. The first side of this four-page design highlights historical photographs of the last living recipients of the Medal of Honor from World War II. One stamp features a photograph of the Navy version of the Medal of Honor. The other stamp features a photograph of the Army version of the Medal of Honor. The Air Force version was not created until 1965. The two center pages list the names of all 464 recipients of the Medal of Honor from World War II. A short piece of text and a key to the names of the recipients pictured in the cover photos are included on the second page. The remaining 18 stamps are found on the back page. Art director Antonio Alcala of Alexandria, VA, designed the stamps and the new format, working with photographs of the medals by Richard Frasier of Vienna, VA.
More than 16 million Americans served in the armed forces during World War II; 464 were singled out to receive the Medal of Honor. Of that, nearly half died as a result of their heroic actions to receive the honor posthumously. The Postal Service is issuing the stamps depicting the Medals of Honor and including photographs of the living recipients on the stamp sheet as an appropriate way to recognize the living while still paying respect to all 464 recipients whose names are included in the Medal of Honor World War II Forever stamp prestige folio. Twelve recipients were alive when approached by the Postal Service to have their photographs included.
The hyperlinks to the recipients name provide details of their citations. The links to the videos are of the recipients recounting their experiences.
Pictured (clockwise from upper left) areCharles H. Coolidge of Chattanooga, TN (video); Francis S. Currey of Selkirk, NY; Walter D. Ehlers of Buena Park, CA (video); John D. Hawk of Bremerton, WA (video); Daniel K. Inouye of Honolulu, HI; Arthur J. Jackson of Boise, ID (video); Robert D. Maxwell of Bend, OR (video); Vernon McGarity of Memphis, TN; Nicholas Oresko of Cresskill, NJ (video); Wilburn K. Ross of Dupont, WA; and George T. Sakato of Denver, CO (video), and Hershel W. Williams of Ona, WV (video).
Sadly, Senator Daniel K. Inouye and Vernon McGarity died before the stamps could be issued, as did Nicholas Oresko, who died after the stamps were printed. John Hawk died November 4. Their photographs are still included, as they remain among the last representatives of a remarkable group whose courage and devotion we honor with this issuance.
The Nation’s Highest Award for Valor in Combat
The Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for valor in combat, is presented “for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty.”
The idea for the Medal of Honor was conceived during the first year of the Civil War. Men were fighting for their country, yet the nation had no formal system for recognizing or rewarding acts of heroism. Then a senator from Iowa, James W. Grimes, introduced a bill to “promote the efficiency of the Navy” by distributing “medals of honor.” President Abraham Lincoln signed the bill into law on December 21, 1861. Lincoln signed a similar measure on behalf of the U.S. Army on July 12, 1862, and the country had two Medals of Honor: one for sailors, and one for soldiers. By the time the Civil War ended, 1,525 medals had been awarded, including one to Army surgeon Mary Walker, the only woman ever to receive the Medal of Honor.
Because it was the country’s only military medal, the Medal of Honor was awarded more freely at first. But after World War I broke out, the Army and Navy created a series of new decorations to recognize different degrees of accomplishment, including the Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, and the Citation Star, later replaced by the Silver Star. As a result, only 124 Medals of Honor were awarded for service in World War I.
There are three similar, yet distinct, versions of the Medal of Honor, one for each military department (Army, Navy, and Air Force). The medals are similar in that each consists of a variation of a five-pointed star worn around the neck on a light blue ribbon. The Navy version is awarded to those serving in the Navy and Marine Corps, and during times of war, to members of the Coast Guard. Although not required by any military regulation, according to tradition and the nature of the award, even a four-star general will salute a private who wears the Medal of Honor. Visit the Congressional Medal of Honor Society website for information on all Medal of Honor recipients.
Ordering First-Day-of-Issue Postmarks
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at local Post Offices, at usps.com/stampsor by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:
Medal of Honor Stamps
Special Cancellations
PO Box 92282
Washington, DC 20090-2282
After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. For more than 50, there is a 5-cent charge per postmark. All orders must be postmarked by Jan. 11, 2014.
Ordering First-Day Covers
The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog online at usps.com/shop or by calling 800-782-6724. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-782-6724 or writing to:
U.S. Postal Service
Catalog Request
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014
Philatelic Products
There are eight philatelic products available for this stamp issue:
- 581006, Press Sheet with Die Cuts, $27.60 (print quantity of 2,500).
- 581008, Press Sheet without Die cuts, $27.60 (print quantity of 2,500).
- 581010, Keepsake (Prestige Folio & Digital Color Postmark Set of 2), $12.95.
- 581016, First-Day Cover Set of 2, $1.80.
- 581021, Digital Color Postmark Set of 2, $3.22.
- 581030, Ceremony Program (Random Stamp), $6.95.
- 581031, Stamp Deck Card, $0.95.
- 587032, Stamp Deck Card w/ Digital Color Postmark (random single), $1.96.
Customers may view the World War II Medal of Honor Forever stamps Prestige Folio, as well as many of this year’s other stamps, on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, on Twitter@USPSstamps or on the website uspsstamps.com, the Postal Service’s online site for information on upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news.
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Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at http://about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm.
For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional, please go to http://about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf.
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