The Postal Service dedicated its Battlefields of the American Revolution stamps at Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord, MA, on April 16.
“These stamps celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation and pay tribute to the heroes who fought and sacrificed for American independence,” said Judy de Torok, the Postal Service’s corporate affairs vice president, who spoke at the event.
Joining de Torok for the dedication were Lt. Col. Geoffrey Love, director of historical services for the Massachusetts National Guard; Paul O’Shaughnessy, master of ceremonies and board president of Friends of Minute Man National Historical Park; and Simone Monteleone, the park’s superintendent.
“Having the ceremony at the site of the opening battle of the American Revolution provides another opportunity for visitors to participate in the 250th anniversary,” Monteleone said.
The pane of 15 stamps is arranged in five rows, each dedicated to one of five turning points in the Revolutionary War: The battles of Lexington and Concord; Bunker Hill; Trenton; Saratoga; and Yorktown.
A famous quote from Thomas Paine, written shortly before the Battle of Trenton in New Jersey, appears in the upper right of the pane. It begins: “These are the times that try men’s souls.”
Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps with illustrations by Greg Harlin and photographs by Jon Bilous, Richard Lewis, Tom Morris, Gregory J. Parker and Kevin Stewart.
The Forever stamps are available at Post Offices and usps.com.
