YMCA postcard

This postcard was mailed back to the United States by a serviceman in the last months of World War I. It gives notice to a loved one that he has travelled back to the mainland and is heading to a camp. The pre-printed message assures the recipient that he will write soon.

This postcard was issued by the YMCA. Alongside other non-profit organizations such as the Jewish Welfare Board, the Red Cross, the Knights of Columbus and the Salvation Army, the YMCA issued stationery free of charge to servicemen stationed abroad to promote correspondence between servicemen and their loved ones. The military supported this initiative as it was widely believed to increase morale. Like other military mail, messages written on this charitable stationery were subject to censorship and could be mailed free of charge from designated zones. “On Dock” has been underlined on this card, indicating it qualified under the free mail provisions.

Picture postcards became a popular trend during World War I. The image on this card, the Statue of Liberty alongside the slogan “Well Done Men America Greets YOU,” compliments the pre-printed message on the reverse. Patriotic postcards such as this were commonplace though sentimental, military and local themes were also used.

References

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