V-Mail

During World War II, corresponding with family and friends in the military wasn’t as easy as making a telephone call or sending an e-mail. Letters and postcards were the primary means of communication. Because of the huge volume of mail going through the postal system, Americans were encouraged to use V-mail, special letter sheets that were photographed and then condensed on microfilm. Planes delivered the microfilmed letters to mail stations around the world. After the film was developed, reduced copies of the letters were reproduced and delivered to recipients.

V-mail’s advantages included size, time, and safety. V-mail weighted 98% less than standard mail and saved space on cargo planes. About 1,700 letters on film could fit into a single cigarette packet. Because V-mail could be transported by air instead of ship, the delivery time was cut from six weeks to twelve days or less. Transport by air also lessened the chance of letters falling into enemy hands. Men and women in the armed forces looked forward to news from home. V-mail made more frequent communication possible.

For more on V-mail, go to http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/adaccess/vmail.html and http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibits/2d2a_vmail.html.