V-Mail service, inaugurated on June 15, is now past the experimental stage, with each week showing large increases in the number of letters, mailed to American soldiers overseas, Eyman Phebus, postmaster at Coldwater announces.

Facilities for photographing and reproducing V-Mail to and from the United States and the British Isles, Australia, India, Hawaii and other points are now in operation. A similar service is being planned for Iceland and other points where the value may warrant.

Pointing out that V-Mail provides a safe means of communication with members of our Armed Forces, the postmaster gave assurances that the film (upon which the communications are reproduced) are given the most expeditious dispatch available. Because of the small space taken by the rolls of film, they often can be carried on ferry planes or bombers.

Every pound of weight which can be saved on air transports overseas, said Mr. Phebus, means that an equivalent amount of weight can be allotted vital military material.

In recognition of this, and in an effort to insure, delivery of mail to as many men as possible at overseas destinations when space is limited, the war and navy departments have directed that V-Mail be given priority in dispatch over all other classes - including air mail when transportation facilities under control of those departments are used.

---

Examples of V-mail may be seen at the following Barber County, Kansas: History & Genealogy pages:

V-mail letter from Cpl. Max McLain to M.F. McLain. Postmarked: July 1945.

V-mail from Raymond Harold 'Bill' Hoagland, US Navy, World War II, to his aunt, Nina Hoagland.

---

Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site!

This website is being created by Jerry Ferrin with the able assistance of many Contributors. Your comments, suggestions and contributions of historical information and photographs to this site are welcome. Please sign the Guest Book. This page was created 20 August 2006.