GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR

J-24 January 26, 1971 issue honors Gen. Douglas MacArthur. He received an appointment to West Point where he graduated No. 1 in his class. His rise in rank was meteoric. By 1918 he was boosted to Brigadier General. In 1930, he was named Chief of Staff and retired in 1937. He was recalled to duty in 1941 with the outbreak of WW II, and a year later he spoke three words that are etched in history -- "I shall return" -- when forced to leave Corregidor by the Japanese. Two years later, he kept that promise and returned to liberate the island. A Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in Tokyo, he restored the shattered economy, liberalized the government, and placed the country on the road to democracy. The painting is of his famous hat. A bronze MacArthur Memorial medal is the numis. 40 produced.

ERNIE PYLE, WAR CORRESPONDENT

J-27 May 7, 1971 issue of the 16 cent Definitive honoring Ernie Pyle, the Scripps-Howard newsman who brought the story of the GI in World War II home to millions of Americans. He covered the war as no other war had ever been covered, writing about the privations, humor, and heartbreak that were part of the daily life of the GI. He was killed in Ie Shimo on April 18, 1945, while covering the Marine assault on Iwo Jima. The painting is of an Army pouch, with a pencil and a pad of paper. The numis is significantly a BU 1971P Roosevelt dime. A matching mint stamp is mounted on the reverse of the cover. 31 produced.

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS

J-21 and 22 November 24, 1970 commemorated the 50th anniversary of the DAV and also the world's concern about the U.S. Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action. The two stamps were printed se-tenant on the same sheet.

J-21 The First Day Ceremonies for the POW stamp was held in Montgomery, Alabama, at Maxwell Airforce Base. About 2/3 of the U.S. POW's are Air Force Personnel. The se-tenant pair of stamps are matched with a mint pair mounted in the reverse of the cover, with the POW stamp on the right. The painting of the "lamp in the window" represents the hopes and prayers of the families and friends waiting for word about their loved ones and their hopeful safe return. The numis is the BU 1970D $0.25. 25 produced.

J-22 The First Day Ceremonies for the DAV stamps was held in Cincinnati, Ohio, headquarters for the DAV. The se-tenant pair of stamps has the DAV on the right and is matched with a mint pair mounted in the reverse of the cover. A 1970D $0.25 is mounted in the center of the painting of the Purple Heart, where the bust of Washington appears on the medal itself. 25 produced.

75TH ANNIVERSARY OF VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS

J-103 March 11, 1974 Commemorative stamp released to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, founded in 1899, and composed of veterans of the United States Armed Forces who have fought in a foreign country. The painting is of a bugle used to announce the regular military routine today. It has been used for centuries to call men into battle because its sound is sharp and penetrating and carries well. The bugle was made from an ox-horn in medieval days, and its name comes from a Latin word meaning "little ox". The wood flat bears the VFW insignia on the obverse, and a Pine Tree Shilling on the reverse. A matching mint stamp is mounted in the reverse of the cover. 50 produced.

1972 FAMILY PLANNING

J-54 March 18, 1972 Family Planning -- This stamp was issued to focus attention to the serious problem of over-population and the effects on the future of mankind. The robin is one of the few birds that seems to seek out human companionship and seemed the perfect subject for our painting. A BU 1972D cent, the second in our 1972 series of U.S. coinage, is the insert. A mint stamp is mounted in the reverse of the cover. 50 Produced.