# C23 - 1938 6c Airmail Eagle
1938 6¢ Eagle
First US Airmail Flight
As a new form of transportation, early flight was a pioneering effort that suffered from a near-complete lack of precedent. More than a decade after Orville Wright’s historic 1903 flight, aircraft mechanics, instructors, and flight schools were still virtually non-existent. But as World War I engulfed the globe, many were soon convinced that air supremacy was the key to victory.
However, Burleson brokered a deal with the War Department on March 1, 1918, that satisfied a very important military issue. Experienced pilots were scarce. America’s most seasoned pilots were serving overseas, leaving few opportunities for training new recruits. Under the new arrangement, the Postal Department would handle their traditional tasks and the military would provide the planes and pilots. Americans would have a rapid system of mail transportation, and military pilots would receive badly needed flight training.
Major Reuben H. Fleet, an Army executive officer in charge of planning instruction, was placed in charge of making the necessary arrangements. Fleet received his assignment on May 6 – just days before the scheduled May 15th flight.
On the morning of May 15, 1918, a crowd of several hundred gathered at Washington’s Polo Grounds to witness history being made. Lt. George Boyle climbed inside the Jenny with bags containing 5,500 letters destined to fly on the first airmail route in US history.
Meanwhile, Lt. Webb had left New York and arrived safely in Philadelphia. His mailbags were transferred to the waiting plane of Lt. Edgerton, who arrived in Washington, DC, at 2:20 p.m. After two weeks of intense preparation and high drama, America’s first airmail service was established. In the months that followed, pioneering aviators expanded airmail service, flying by the seat of their pants over the treacherous Allegheny Mountains to Chicago and eventually the west coast.
National Airmail Week
Twenty years after that legendary first flight, airmail and air travel were still a novelty to most Americans. To help struggling airlines and boost airmail service, Postmaster General James A. Farley created National Airmail Week to run from May 15-21, 1938. The event was heavily advertised with the slogan, “Receive To-morrow’s mail To-day!” Farley also encouraged everyone in the US to send a letter during that week. To mark the occasion, a new 6¢ stamp designed by President Roosevelt was issued on May 14. Towns were also invited to create their own special cachets for mailing during the week. Nearly 10,000 cities participated and in all, more than 16.2 million letters and 9,000 packages were mailed during National Airmail Week.
1938 6¢ Eagle
First US Airmail Flight
As a new form of transportation, early flight was a pioneering effort that suffered from a near-complete lack of precedent. More than a decade after Orville Wright’s historic 1903 flight, aircraft mechanics, instructors, and flight schools were still virtually non-existent. But as World War I engulfed the globe, many were soon convinced that air supremacy was the key to victory.
However, Burleson brokered a deal with the War Department on March 1, 1918, that satisfied a very important military issue. Experienced pilots were scarce. America’s most seasoned pilots were serving overseas, leaving few opportunities for training new recruits. Under the new arrangement, the Postal Department would handle their traditional tasks and the military would provide the planes and pilots. Americans would have a rapid system of mail transportation, and military pilots would receive badly needed flight training.
Major Reuben H. Fleet, an Army executive officer in charge of planning instruction, was placed in charge of making the necessary arrangements. Fleet received his assignment on May 6 – just days before the scheduled May 15th flight.
On the morning of May 15, 1918, a crowd of several hundred gathered at Washington’s Polo Grounds to witness history being made. Lt. George Boyle climbed inside the Jenny with bags containing 5,500 letters destined to fly on the first airmail route in US history.
Meanwhile, Lt. Webb had left New York and arrived safely in Philadelphia. His mailbags were transferred to the waiting plane of Lt. Edgerton, who arrived in Washington, DC, at 2:20 p.m. After two weeks of intense preparation and high drama, America’s first airmail service was established. In the months that followed, pioneering aviators expanded airmail service, flying by the seat of their pants over the treacherous Allegheny Mountains to Chicago and eventually the west coast.
National Airmail Week
Twenty years after that legendary first flight, airmail and air travel were still a novelty to most Americans. To help struggling airlines and boost airmail service, Postmaster General James A. Farley created National Airmail Week to run from May 15-21, 1938. The event was heavily advertised with the slogan, “Receive To-morrow’s mail To-day!” Farley also encouraged everyone in the US to send a letter during that week. To mark the occasion, a new 6¢ stamp designed by President Roosevelt was issued on May 14. Towns were also invited to create their own special cachets for mailing during the week. Nearly 10,000 cities participated and in all, more than 16.2 million letters and 9,000 packages were mailed during National Airmail Week.