The current United States Postal Service was approved in 1971 by a congressional act. It replaced the United States Postal Department. It was founded in 1775 with Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General. King Charles the 2nd, established the first post office in England in 1660 for quicker communication between the Royal court and the the two houses of parliament. Mr Franklin used his appointment to simplify the routes to best serve the population. Before 1775, correspondence had to be carried by individuals. It took six to eight days for a letter to be sent and delivered from Boston to New York, a month for a letter from New Hampshire to Georgia. Initially, service consisted of delivery from the three largest cities, Boston, Philadelphia and New York. He expanded the service to cover all 13 colonies .Franklin had postal riders travel day and night. As Post Master General, an improved accounting system was also implemented.
Currently the service employees more than 73000 veterans, more than any other federal agency. Last year the Postal Service delivered over 13 billion pieces of mail.
As a child, we knew our mail carrier by name. Often they were a neighbor or friend. Today many routes are delivered by postal vehicle, still many customers are known by their carriers. Senior citizens and the disabled are helped by their carriers.
The USPS is the only government department that is required, by congress, to fully fund retirees pension fund before they retire. This has been partly responsible for the service in the red. The service had a loss of 6.5 billion in the last fiscal year, 5.8 billion went to the pension fund.
Cuts in the service could affect the delivery in many rural areas. The average delivery time from the post date is 1 to 2 days.
So if you see your postal carrier or go to the post office, remember to say ,”Thank you.” They are working hard for you.
***. poemJune 6 94 words
Beginning Of The End
Old men memories fade in the retelling.
The folded uniform, smelling of mothballs, packed in the cedar chest.
past years of service forgotten.
Tarnished medals rest in dusty velvet boxes.
Discharge papers, curled and yellow, stored away in a gray file cabinet.
A battered combat helmet rests on a toy box shelf.
Thoughts of war pushed aside,
for present concerns.
A gold star and the flag, marks the passing of another fallen hero.
One crippled warrior pauses to salute,
then moves on.
Echos ofTaps plays softly in his mind.
carolaspot@aol.com
copyrighted 7/1/25
traveling up and down the blind highway 