Vietnam APO SF Cover

Here is a scan of a cover that I reeived in a stack of material from a friend. I will not say that this is rare, but I have actuially never seen a Vietnam era cover to add to my collection.

This cover is postmarked APO SF 96371 on February 4, 1968. This (although not sure) was located in eother Phu My or Tan An, Vietnam.

This was a Army soldier (Private First Class) with a Mechanical Battalion (whatever that was).

I think it is kind of neat, from an ERA we all wished had never happened. (By the by, I was in the service at that time, but in the Air Force in the European sector). Anyone have any other Vietnam APOs to share?

Perhaps it is so much easier to find WW2 soldier free mail because the Vietnam Era recipients are still alive, and holding theirs?

ikey: I think you are correct. I don't see much from the Vietnam or even the Korean era. Free covers from the WWII period can be had by the box load. Also not as many people went to Vietnam as were involved in WWII.

The envelope looks familiar but I have no idea what it looked like after I dropped it in the mail sack. Mom never kept the envelopes and I have no idea what the old girlfriend did with the ones I sent her. I wasn't thinking about stamp collecting or postal history back then. To tell the truth I really didn't write that much but we all loved receiving mail and packages.

Battlestamps: all good points. Other differences include:

- less urgency to begin writing with the introduction of 12-month tours (Vietnam) vs service-for-the-duration (WW2),

- declining letter-writing literacy from television & telephones during childhood,

- the advent of in-theater telephone service (Thank You, RCA Global) for calls home, et al.

Some bean counter, some where, knows the totals.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey