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Trying To Determine Very Busy Cover Travel History

 
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United States
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Posted 04/12/2024   05:02 am  Show Profile Check orstampman's eBay Listings Bookmark this topic Add orstampman to your friends list Get a Link to this Message
I have this very busy cover from 1951 with many markings that I am trying to identify the travel history. Most markings have dates, but there are some undated markings I can't determine where they fit chronologically.

Here's the front, reverse and enclosure scans:





Here's an attempt at ordering the markings chronologically:
(F): front, (R): reverse

(F) Originated from: Galveston, Texas, Jan 15, 1951
(F) Originally sent to: Ross Wright, HQ & HQ sq. 35th Fight Wing, APO c/o Postmaster, San Francisco, Calif, 1-17-1950 (incorrect year)
Note: No dates from January 18 through March 1
(R) MAR 2 1951 (Violet straight-line)
(R) U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE, 7-BPO, MAR 4 1951
(F) NO RECORD SV CO 23-3-51 NCR (Blue manuscript)
Note: No dates from March 24 through May 21
(R) 22 MAY 1951 (Black straight-line)
(R) ARMY – AIR FORCE POSTAL SERVICE, May 30, 1951, A.P.O. 707 (VIOLET)
(R) JUN. 2, 1951 (SAME VIOLET)
(R) U.S. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE A.P.O 970, 10 JUN 1951 (Black)
(R) DIRECTORY SERVICE – NO RECORD APO 970, 23-6-51 (Square Black marking)
(F) No Record APO 970-1 (undated)
(F) FORWAD TO E.M.D APO 503 (undated)
(F) EMD APO 503 (undated)
(R) CENTRAL MAIL DIRECTORY A.P.O. 503, JUN 25 1951 (MAGENTA)
(R) JUN 25 1951 (Violet straight-line)
(R) ARMY – AIR FORCE POSTAL SERVICE, Jun 26, 1951, A.P.O. 7 BPO (GRAY)
(R) US ARMY POSTAL SERVICE xxx 7-BPO (undated, Black smaller circular marking)
(R) CENTRAL MAIL DIRECTORY A.P.O. 503, JUL 9 1951 (MAGENTA)
(F) Return to Hawaii Box 461 APO 957 Schofield Bks, CLel T.H. 7-13-51
(R) JUL 20 1951 (Violet straight-line)
(R) Return to United States Salax, PA 8-5-51 (Pen Manuscript)
(F) Rec'd Aug 17 1951 at Salix

Unknown Dates:
(F) 5th In Rgt
(F) SV CO 5th INF REGT
(F) NO RECORD 5 INF 16-551PCC
(F) No Record APO 301
(R) N/R Located (pencil manuscript) xxxx

So, there are significant time periods between January 17 to March 2, and March 24 to May 21 with no dated markings. I would like to understand more completely the routing details, including the timeframe and locations of the undated markings.

I showed this well-traveled cover to my wife, who generally is not interested in the "stamp stuff", and she was thinking about this person (Ross Wright) who may have been serving in the Korean "police action" and maybe was not found due to a related death. Could be interesting to find this person survived!

If anyone is interested in providing any other information about this cover, I would be very grateful.


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United States
79 Posts
Posted 05/08/2024   11:30 am  Show Profile Bookmark this reply Add Capthickey to your friends list  Get a Link to this Reply
This is a very busy cover!

A possible match for the Ross Wright of your letter can be found in the 1950 U.S. Census. In that census is a Ross Wright, aged 25, stationed at Schofield Baracks in Hawaii. He was married to Dorris (age 24) and had a daughter Sharon (age 3). His occupation is listed as "Armed Forces."

Digging a little deeper I found a Ross Sway Wright who was born in Pennsylvania in 1923 and died in Virginia in 2010. The birth year doesn't agree with the 1950 Census, but this individual had a wife named Dorris and a daughter Sharon, so it is most likely the same person. It looks like he served in WWII and remained in the military into the Korean War.
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