Postal Service Issues NATO Birthday Commemorative Stamp, by Rudi
The Amer War Lib'y
Postal Service Issues NATO Birthday Commemorative Stamp, by Rudi
Williams American Forces Press Service
EXCERPT: "WASHINGTON - A U.S. postage stamp honoring NATO's 50th
anniversary is now on sale at post offices throughout the United
States and at military post offices worldwide. First-day issue
ceremonies were held Oct. 13 at the military post office at NATO
headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. The postal facility is operated by
Detachment 6, U.S. Air Forces in Europe. The stamp honors the signing
of the North Atlantic Treaty agreement on April 4, 1949, in
Washington. The treaty established a mutual defense alliance of 12
nations. Between 1952 and 1982, four additional European nations
acceded to the treaty. On March 12, 1999, the Czech Republic, Hungary
and Poland joined NATO, bringing the number of member nations to 19.
Designed by Michael Corinne of San Francisco, the 33-cent stamp
symbolizes the strength of NATO, the fragility of peace, and hope for
the future, postal officials said. The first U.S. commemorative stamp
honoring NATO, on its third anniversary, was a three-cent stamp issued
April 4, 1952. Stamp collectors worldwide can obtain
first-day-of-issue postmarks by mail provided their requests are
postmarked by Nov. 12. Normal process is to buy and affix the stamp to
return- addressed envelopes, insert those into a larger envelope and
mail the package to U.S. Postal Service Stamp Fulfillment Services at:
NATO Commemorative Stamp PO Box 219400 Kansas City, MO 64121-9400.
After applying the free first-day postmark, the Postal Service
delivers the individual envelopes to the addressees. The Stamp
Fulfillment Service also sells first-day covers and postal stationery
items with the official first-day postmark. Item have individual
catalog numbers and are offered in the free quarterly USA Philatelic
catalog, available on request by writing to:..."
Information Fulfillment
Dept. 6270
U.S. Postal Service
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014.
The stamp and catalog also can be ordered by calling 1-800-
STAMP24.
For more information on stamps or to see an image of the NATO
stamp, visit the <a href="http://www.usps.com/images/stamps/99">Postal
Service Web site</a>.
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