Most people know that the US military delivers mail to-from its troops via its network of APO-FPO post offices, however, there were instances where the .mil was involved in protecting, transporting, or even delivering the civilian mails.

First, a brief look at the Marines protecting the mails:

In 1921, after a series of mail robberies, including one where the criminals used explosives to blow up the mail car in a train, President Warren Harding ordered the Marines to guard the mails during transport.  They were kept on this duty from November 1921 until March of 1922.  There were no attempts at robbery during this period.  The Marines were called back during 1926-27, until the Post Office could set up and train its own armed guards.

From an article describing operations:

"And they meant business. Navy Secretary Denby, a former Marine, sent a message to the Corps, which reads in part:

'You must, when on guard duty, keep your weapons in hand and, if attacked, shoot and shoot to kill. There is no compromise in this battle with bandits. If two Marines guarding a mail car, for example, are suddenly covered by a robber, neither must hold up his hands, but both must begin shooting at once. One may be killed, but the other will get the robbers and save the mail. When our Marine Corps men go as guards over the mail, that mail must be delivered or there must be a dead Marine at the post of duty.'

...

In addition to the special orders, the Marines were provided a training manual in question-and-answer format. The 105 questions and answers were designed to provide most of the information the Marines needed to fulfill their mission. Here's a sample:

Q. Suppose he [the robber] is using a gun or making threats with a gun in trying to escape? A. Shoot him.

Q. Suppose the thief was apparently unarmed but was running away? A. Call halt twice at the top of your voice, and if he does not halt, fire one warning shot; and if he does not obey this, shoot to hit him.

Q. Is it permissible to take off my pistol while on duty; for instance, when in a mail car riding between stations? A. Never take off your pistol while on duty. Keep it loaded, locked, and cocked while on duty.

Q. Is there a general plan for meeting a robbery? A. Yes; start shooting and meet developments as they arise thereafter."

https://www.mca-marines.org/gazette/crime-and-postal-history-bring-marines

Rules of Engagement were a bit simpler:





The Air Corps had its chance with transporting mail in 1934.

In 1934, President Roosevelt cancelled air mail contracts that had been let out to various airlines, amidst allegations of corruption in obtaining those contracts from the Hoover Administration.  The Army Air Corps was directed to deliver air mail on short notice, and without a chance to prepare or train, while enduring Depression-era budget difficulties.  The program did not go well.  There was a series of well-publicized crashes and fatalities, that led critics such as Eddie Rickenbacher to call the program 'legalized murder.'

From an article on the subject:


"The sharp cry against the cancellation of the air mail contracts, reinforced by the Air Corps' difficulties, grew louder. The dispute over the contracts paled in comparison with the Air Corps' performance as the legal arguments did not have the dramatic impact of the airmen's problems and casualties. Events confirmed the dire predictions of the critics about the inadequacies of the Army in this type of flying and were amplified by the events, broadcast by the newspapers, and trumpeted by the opponents of the New Deal. Judging from congressional mail, the public was about equally divided on the wisdom of the contract cancellation, but was shocked and upset by the Air Corps' performance. To add fuel to the criticism, two of the leading aviation figures of the day emerged as forceful and effective critics. Although both Charles Lindbergh and Eddie Rickenbacker were closely connected to the airline industry and on their payrolls, their stature and technical credibility generated headlines that were difficult to counter.

The Air Corps' safety record became the major issue. By the end of February, there were twenty major accidents and six fatalities connected with air mail activities. In the first ten days of March, eleven more major accidents and four more fatalities occurred. Four airmen died in three crashes on March 9. One was killed during an early morning flight into a heavy storm near Burton, Ohio. Although more experienced than most others killed in the operation, his crash was blamed on the poor cockpit location of two critical flight instruments. The second accident at Daytona Beach, Florida, involved a twin-engine bomber that lost power on both engines shortly after takeoff, and one of the three-man crew lost his life in the subsequent crash landing. That night, two more officers perished at Cheyenne in an accident attributed to engine failure.

The next day Roosevelt halted the operation citing the high accident rate and fatalities. The President called in the Army Chief of Staff, Douglas MacArthur, and the Chief of the Air Corps, Benjamin Foulois, and forcefully expressed his extreme displeasure. Roosevelt asked when the deaths would end, to which Foulois bluntly and honestly answered "only when the airplanes stop flying." (48) The overall result, Foulois later recalled, was the worst tongue lashing he had ever endured. The Air Corps thought the President was overreacting, and Foulois noted that only four of the ten deaths actually took place carrying the mail, while the others were in air mail support services (a distinction probably lost on both the President and the public). The next day Foulois grounded the air mail flights. When the Air Corps chief lifted the grounding, he warned that there might be further accidents and casualties. "With 25 years of flying experience behind me," Foulois asserted, "I can frankly state that just so long as man flies there will be fatal accidents." (49) When the Air Corps resumed operations on March 19, it cut its schedule from 41,000 miles to 26,000 miles a day and reduced the night flights from thirty-eight to fourteen. (50) "

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/%22Fiasco%22+revisited%3A+the+Air+Corps+%26+the+1934+air+mail+episode.-a0220639031


The Army got a chance to sort and deliver mail in 1970.  In that year, postal workers, led by the New York offices, went out on strike.  President Nixon called up the Reserves and National Guard and sent a lot of troops to NYC to keep mail moving to businesses.  They stayed on the job until the postal workers returned.


A description of events:

"On March 23, President Nixon declared a national emergency and directed the Secretary of Defense to respond to requests of the Postmaster General for help in restoring and maintaining postal services. The Secretary of Defense in turn designated the Secretary of the Army as executive agent. The joint operation was nicknamed Operation Graphic Hand.

Although planning for military augmentation of postal facilities had to consider the possibility of a nationwide postal strike and operational requirements in thirty-five priority cities, Graphic Hand was executed in New York City only, during the period from March 23 to April 4. The multiservice force, named Task Force New York, was under the operational control of Major General Walter M. Higgins, the commander of Fort Hamilton, New York. Authorized by EO 11519 of 23 March 1970, a total of 28,100 Active and Reserve (26,273 Reserve, which included 10,845 ARNG and 1,876 ANG) were mobilized. Over 18,500 military personnel were assigned to seventeen post offices on March 25, the peak day of operation; 12,764 were Army (750 regular Army, 6,839 National Guard, and 5,175 Army Reserve). The balance were Air National Guard and Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps Reserve forces. More than 1,000 troops delivered mail in New York City's financial district; the remainder sorted mail and kept strikers from interfering with delivery.

The military personnel, working under postal supervisors, sorted mail, transported it to substations and other areas, and delivered bulk mail to businesses and charitable organizations. No residential deliveries were made. According to postal officials, service personnel processed 12.8 million pieces of outgoing letter mail leaving New York City; processed 4.4 million pieces of letter mail for delivery in New York City and cased over 3.2 million pieces of mail for city delivery; delivered nearly 2 million pieces to business firms and charitable organizations; delivered 3.2 million pieces to callers; delivered 11,986 registered letters; and loaded or unloaded 96 trailers of mail."

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/graphic_hand.htm

PDF of Operation Graphic Hand After Action Report

I do so love the BNR history lessons. More often than not, they lead me down rather wonderful rabbit holes of research.

And lots of lost time.

Thanks, BNR. Very interesting stuf.

Thanks BNR!  Keep them coming.

Even into the '60s mail carriers were issued revolvers with which they were expected to protect the registered mail.