BURBANK, CA - The Downtown Station Post Office, located at 135 E. Olive Ave., in Burbank, will unveil an enlargement of the new Bob Hope 44-cent commemorative stamp on Friday, May 29, 2009, at 11:00 a.m. That Post Office was named for Hope on Nov. 11, 2003, by act of Congress, public law 108-120. The event takes place on what would have been Hope's 106th birthday.

A special pictorial cancellation containing a facsimile signature and caricature sketch of Hope's famous profile will be available at the event, as well as a First Day of Sale postmark for customers purchasing the Bob Hope stamp. Collectible stamp products will also be on sale, including a cachet envelope containing the Bob Hope stamp and special pictorial postmark for $5.

The Postal Service will officially dedicate the stamp honoring the late actor and comedian also on May 29, at a ceremony aboard the USS Midway in San Diego. Hope, well-known for his many television and motion picture appearances, also dedicated a significant part of his life entertaining America's men and women in uniform. In 1997, Hope was the first person recognized by Congress as an honorary veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces for his five decades of service to his country by entertaining America's military personnel.

The Postal Service is carrying on Hope's legacy of supporting our troops by encouraging the public to send care packages to our men and women in uniform, and offering a $2 discount on Priority Flat Rate boxes addressed to U.S. overseas military (APO/FPO) addresses. The Burbank Post Office will have free Priority Mail supplies and customs forms on hand at the Bob Hope ceremony. A free USPS Military Care Kit containing Priority Mail supplies is available by calling 800-610-8734.

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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes, six days a week. It has 34,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world's mail.