American Expeditionary Forces honor cover

This envelope was used by a serviceman during World War I to send a letter home without it being censored by his regiment. The restrictions for its usage are printed on the cover, and the sender must declare that it does not contain any sensitive information regarding the military.

These covers were designed for letters that contained personal information that the writer did not want to be read by censors he may know personally. They did not escape censorship completely however, as they were censored at the main military base before they were forwarded to the USA. This is indicated by the censor’s mark, in red ink on the lower left of the envelope.

World War I saw the first large-scale effort to censor personal mail from American military service members. Enacted in attempts to protect strategic information, such as troop strength and location, the personnel and officers reviewing the mail were also able to gauge the outlook and morale of individuals. Similar regulations and methods were employed again during World War II.

References

Sackett, Richard W. “The Beginning of the American APO.” The American Philatelist 932 (1978): 857-867.

Sanford, Hennen M. The Mail of the A.E.F. American Expeditionary Forces. The American Philatelic Society, Maryland, 1940.