Thursday, April 17, 2025
USPS pays homage to the Battlefields of the American Revolution
These stamps tell the story of five turning points in the war
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.
New board secretary named
Governors tap Lucy Trout to serve in acting capacity
Lucy Trout has been named acting secretary of the USPS Board of Governors.
Trout succeeds former secretary Michael J. Elston, who has been named the Postal Service’s labor relations vice president. She most recently served as deputy secretary and counselor of the board.
She joined USPS in 2016 as a staff attorney with the judicial officer’s group, and then she served as an attorney in the law department in the labor law group.
WestPac Area, Pennsylvania 1 District lead in scanning
A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 97.16 percent during the week ending April 11, down 0.36 percent from one week earlier.
The data was collected April 16.
WestPac led the four areas with a rating of 97.46 percent, while Southern ranked last with a 96.99 percent rating.
Among the 50 districts, Pennsylvania 1, part of Atlantic Area, ranked first with a 98.39 percent rating, while Hawaii, part of WestPac Area, ranked last with a 94.51 percent rating.
Scanning data allows customers to track their mail and packages, which helps USPS deliver excellent service, boost loyalty and drive revenue.
To see the latest data, go to the Informed Visibility website and select “Customer Experience,” followed by “DES 2 Scan Performance.” Postal Service employees must request Informed Visibility access through eAccess.