JMPA-PAC MISSION STATEMENT

Joint Military Postal Activity-Pacific (JMPA-PAC) acts on behalf of the Military Postal Service Agency, to provide liaison between Military Postal Service and Official Mail Postal activities, USPS, Other Government Agencies, and transportation managers, and to provide instructions for processing, routing, and distributing mail.

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UNITED STATES ARMY MILITARY MAIL TERMINAL SAN FRANCISCO AND SEATTLE

I. INTRODUCTION:

During World War II (WWII), the Department of Defense (DoD) and the “then” Post Office Department entered into an agreement to provide mail service to our armed forces serving abroad.  This agreement, updated in 1959 and still in effect, called for DoD to establish and maintain a troop locator system at each port of embarkation through which the Army Post Office / Fleet Post Office (APO / FPO) mail was to be processed, and for the Post Office Department to physically handle and dispatch the mail.  The resulting military postal system was and continues to be an extension of the domestic postal system.

II. SAN FRANCISCO OPERATIONS:

a.  Associated with the vast number of units and personnel deployed throughout the Pacific during WW II mail volumes processed reached record levels.  Ultimately, before war’s end, the Postal Division, San Francisco Port of Embarkation (SFPE) occupied three large buildings covering several acres at Oakland Army Base, CA and grew in strength to approximately 100 officers and 800 enlisted men to fulfill the increased war related mission.

b.  Following VJ Day, demobilization plans of the Postal Division called for civilians to replace some of the military positions.  Hence, on 10 Jan 1946, the division began hiring the first civilian employees and proceeded to convert from a total military operation to a partial military staff augmented by civilian employees.  Decreasing mail volumes accompanied demobilization and the smaller unit relocated from Oakland Army Base to Fort Mason in 1947; though the actual processing of mail had moved during 1946.  Both functions were not to be again united in the same building until 1958.

c.  Following its return to Fort Mason, the unit was redesigned as the Postal Branch of the Adjutant General Division, San Francisco Port of Embarkation.  Its duties at that time were not only to coordinate the processing and movement of APO mails, but also to inspect the mail rooms of anti-aircraft units located throughout the Oakland hills and the city of Alameda.

d.  Within just a few short years, the United States again found itself involved in combat operations.  The Korean Conflict, like WW II, was accompanied by rapid deployment of large masses of U.S. Servicemen overseas.  Again, the capability to rapidly and efficiently directorize and route mail for the numerous units and thousands of personnel overseas was established.  During this conflict, commercial airlines carried only a token amount of APO mail, due to the aerial combat threat posed by Communist aggressors over Far East cities.  Thus, practically all military mail was transported by military aircraft-with mail being forced to compete with other critical military cargo requiring airlift.  At one time, as much as 100,000 pounds of mail was delayed 14 days while awaiting military aircraft.  This mail was dispatched from Alameda Air Station, Moffett Field, Hamilton Air Force Base and many other points around the Bay Area.  Gradually, the Korean Conflict ground to a halt and American Forces began returning home.  Additionally, newly freed U.S. prisoners of war began arriving from Korea aboard ships that docked at Fort Mason.  A tremendous welcoming committee was organized by SFPE to meet all incoming ships.  Upon entering the Golden Gate area, the prisoner’s ships were greeted by a gala welcoming party of fire boats spraying water, tugs loaded with beautiful girls, and private yachts with bands playing appropriate welcome music.  Bags of mail, alphabetized by the prisoner’s name, were actually delivered aboard each vessel before the ex-prisoners debarked.

e.  Shortly after the cessation of hostilities in Korea, The Adjutant General directed the establishment of the United States Army Military Mail Terminal (USAMMT) as a major subordinate element of his staff.  The mission of the USAMMT continued to be primarily concerned with the processing and movement of APO mail for Army Force units located in the Pacific.  Soon after the organization of the new USAMMT, the Postmaster, San Francisco, provided office space in downtown Postal Concentration Center (PCC) building located on the Embarcadero and the USAMMT moved from Fort Mason to what began to increase in strength in response to the increasing volume of mail associated with the southeast Asia/Vietnam build-up.  Thus in 1965, the PCC and all its occupants were moved to a larger building, 390 Main Street.

f.  The increasing Vietnam related volume continued to escalate with unprecedented speed.  The number of troops and military units deployed grew so rapidly the USAMMT was forced to work long hours and weekends to expand the listing of units on the racks and cases in the PCC; from approximately 300 to more than 650 units immediately after the move to 390 Main Street.

g.  As the conflict in Vietnam continued, the volume of airlift mail sent through San Francisco and Seattle soon exceeded the capacity of commercial airlines.  Military Airlift Command (MAC) was tasked to transport mail that could not be carried commercially.  Soon, however, the capacity of even MAC was exceeded and chartered aircraft were obtained from various companies dedicated to moving only mail.  These planes, mostly 707 and DC eight freighters, were loaded and operated under the jurisdiction of this activity to ensure full payloads were carried.  The cost, per flight, was approximately $44,000.  Still, the volumes increased.  During Christmas 1969, space in the building at 390 Main Street was insufficient for processing the mail.  A huge tent (of the Ringling Brothers type) was erected in the parking lot and Christmas parcels were processed and sacked at that location.  To move this mountain of parcels to Vietnam, a 10,000 ton ship, later dubbed, “The Santa Claus Special”, was chartered.  The use of this vessel marked the first time in history that an “all mail ship” was utilized to support units in combat.  The vessel was programmed to depart San Francisco during the latter part of November and to call at three ports in Vietnam in time for the parcels to be moved in-country and delivered to troops before Christmas day.

h.  The Santa Claus Special revealed that a special “mail ship” was an excellent way to get mail to Vietnam ports; but it presented problems in insuring that the mail was delivered to the troops once the vessel arrived.  The Postal Officers in Vietnam had the momentous task of trying to distribute a ship load of mail in-country within a short period of time.  Due to these problems, Christmas 1970 brought a different approach to moving surface mail.  In September and throughout the Christmas mail period, ships sailed (at various intervals) into the three ports in Vietnam so that the mail could be delivered on a continual basis, thereby avoiding the in-country distribution problems that had been experienced the previous year.

i.  Units and personnel sent to Vietnam moved so fast that it was difficult for their mail to catch up with them after arrival.  Some individual replacements were reported to have been in Vietnam for several weeks without receiving mail.  The Area Postal Directory (APD) system which was operated manually at Long Bhin, Vietnam, was transferred to the USAMMT, San Francisco and computerized.  This event gave birth to the first and only Automated Mail Directory System (AMDS) in Army history.  The AMDS was programmed to provide several “hold files” in the software.  One hold file received the names of a number of replacements sent to Vietnam as they departed the United States.  Subsequently, as mail was received it was provided a “bin number” for holding until the unit of address of the individual was received from Vietnam.  Upon entering the unit of address, the computer identified the bin number in which the mail for the individual was being held.  The mail was immediately removed, labeled and forwarded to the addressee’s correct unit of assignment.  This operation materially improved mail service for replacements during the remainder of the Vietnam Conflict.  Similarly, when and individual was hospitalized, the computer immediately reflected the address of both the hospital in which he was first located and any subsequent hospital to which he might be moved.  Any mail received for him was immediately addressed and forwarded to his current location.  This resulted in hospitalized personnel receiving excellent mail service and soon led to the establishment of the Casualty Mail Service.  USAMMT was tasked to receive and maintain the names of all casualties and the names of their next of kin.  Casualty mail from Vietnam and all other Pacific areas was forwarded to the USAMMT.  Such mail, in turn, was enclosed under separate cover with a brief letter of explanation to the next of kin.  This system resulted in each soldier’s next of kin correspondence being treated with a very humane, personal touch not previously available concerning the loss of their loved one.  These sophisticated systems were eliminated as combat operations ended.

j.  During the closing months of the Vietnam operation, the USAMMT played a major part in coordinating the cutoff/rerouting of mail for units and personnel that had returned from Southeast Asia.  The nightly exchange of information between the USARV Staff Postal Officer and USAMMT Commander resulted in timely mail distribution; the routing of all classes of mail was cut off and controlled in accordance with instructions received.  This phase of the Vietnam mail operation proved to be one of the best coordinated procedures to be experienced by a military force of such size.

k.  Following the end of our involvement in Vietnam the unit once again rapidly shrank to cadre size, in keeping with reduced peace time operations.

III. SEATTLE OPERATIONS:

a.  No written record was maintained during WW II of SEAMMT activities.  And, from the end of WW II until June 1951 all Military Postal Operations at the Seattle Gateway were apparently discontinued.  In 1951, however, the Commanding General of the Seattle Port of Embarkation (SEPE) was directed to establish a military postal section to be known as the Port Postal Branch, U.S. Army Transportation Corps-for Alaskan APO’s only.  Responsibilities of the Port Postal Branch, continued to be performed by the Fort Lawton Army Post Office until SEPE took over designated responsibilities in August 1952.  During the period June 1951-August 1952 four civilian employees were assigned.

b.  The makeup and dispatch of military mail for Alaskan APO’s was controlled by the U.S. Post Office at the King Street Terminal Annex, in Seattle and all Military Mail referred to the Port Postal Branch was picked up and returned daily.  Surface mail was dispatched to Alaska by Alaska Freight Lines barges and Airmail was dispatched by Pacific Airlines.  Military Ordinary Mail (MOM) was dispatched to Anchorage and Fairbanks areas via MAC airlift from McChord Air Force Base, Washington, approximately a 30 mile distant.

c.  During mid-1955, the Postal Services of both the Departments of Army and Air Force authorized airmail letters and parcels in the Northern Tier of the United States to be dispatched through the Seattle Gateway for all APO’s in the Pacific.  This mail was processed at the Airport Mail Facility (AMF) Seattle, located at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, 11 miles south of Seattle.  The Port Postal Branch obtained copies of the Mail Distribution Scheme and APO listings from the San Francisco Military Post Office in order to assist the Seattle AMF in setting up distribution equipment on very short notice for military mail.  Since there were only two airlines operating in the Pacific Area at this time, Pan American out of San Francisco and Northwest out of Seattle, the Seattle USPS Regional Office directed all AMF’s across the U. S. to dispatch their Airmail to Seattle.  This temporarily resulted in Seattle processing approximately 80% of all airmail dispatched to the Pacific.  Also during the mid-1950’s, the Alaska freight Line closed, resulting in surface mail for Alaska being dispatched to Anchorage and Fairbanks by truck over the ALCAN Highway.  MOM mail for Alaska, then being dispatched via MAC airlift, was diverted to the truck route at the request of the Commanding General, Alaskan Air Command and the Commanding General, U.S. Army Alaska, due to the infrequent flights to Alaska by MAC.

d.  The Port Postal Branch was redesignated the U.S. Army Military Mail Terminal, Seattle in May 1958.  Concurrent efforts to acquire space in the Seattle Terminal Annex finally materialized and unit relocation was completed by Fall of the same year.  During 1961, directory service actions and other increased workload factors necessitated growth in the number civilian personnel to five employees.

e.  In response to concern over mounting costs for mail transportation, the Military Mail Monitoring Program was implemented by DoD in May of 1964.  This program required the downgrading of any official parcel to the lowest mode of transportation required to meets its Required Delivery Date (RDD).  To perform this mission enlisted men of the 575th Army Postal Unit at Fort Lewis, Washington were provided as Assistant Army Postal Clerks.

f.  As in San Francisco, the escalation of the Vietnam Conflict dictated an increase in civilian employees to a total of 14.  By 1967, increasing mail volumes also forced an increase in office space to three rooms in a larger new location within the Lander Street Annex.  Shortly thereafter, all classes of mail for Alaskan and Pacific APO/FPO’s were consolidated at this facility which had three large bays for mail processing.  The 7th Base Post Office (BPO) for Fort Lawton assisted the USAMMT-SEA in processing the Vietnam related increase as well as in the monitoring program.  During the years 1968 and 1969, U.S. Army Reserve Postal Unites from Texas, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts and Kentucky performed their yearly Annual Training at Seattle and provided significant assistance in responding to the Vietnam mail levels.  With the withdrawal of troops from Vietnam, the civilian staff of the 7th BPO were reassigned except four enlisted personnel who were reassigned to the 16th Base Post Office, Presidio of San Francisco, with duty station, Seattle.

g.  The last USAMMT-SEA Commander retired on 31 Dec 70 at which time the unit was concurrently redesignated as the Seattle Operations Branch, United States Army Military Mail Terminal-San Francisco.  Seattle and San Francisco Terminals had now officially merged.  The branch consisted of one civilian chief and four remaining enlisted men from the deactivated 7th BPO.  With Vietnam nearly history, the dwindling volume of Airmail letters and parcels was returned to AMF Seattle for processing in June 1971.  Consequently, both the FPO Seattle and APO Seattle Branch also moved to the AMF, Seattle.

h.  As in times past, the decline in forces overseas was accompanied by a similar decline in unit strength.  The last enlisted man assigned to the Seattle Branch retired 30 Apr 76, leaving a total of now two civilians to operate the Branch Office.  The Fall of 1977 saw the ground breaking and construction of a larger, ultra-modern AMF at the SEA-TAC location.  By June 1978, the building was completed and full occupancy completed on 17 June 1978.  The Seattle Branch and FPO unit were both furnished a large new air conditioned office to share-Military Mail Processing Sections were placed within steps of their office.  The entire military mail processing area encompasses nearly on half of the building, with over 35% of the USPS AMMF personnel performing some type of military mail function, thereby enabling all classes of military mail to be processed in one building.

IV. CONCLUSION:

JMPA (Pacific) now headquartered in Los Angeles is to act on behalf of the Military Postal Service Agency, as the single point of contact with the U.S. Postal Service in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland and Honolulu to achieve the effective and efficient processing, distribution, and transportation of military mail passing through the gateways destined to and from overseas military mail terminals.

 

Our organization is comprised of a joint staff of officers and enlisted service members from the four Armed Services, as well as Department of the Army civilians. Our unit is under the direction of the Military Postal Service Agency, located in Alexandria, VA.

Relocation information is at www.militaryonesource.com and relocation tools are at www.MilitaryHOMEFRONT.dod.mil/moving.

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