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Korea Overrun Stamp
A 5-cent multi-coloured stamp of the flag of Korea was issued on 2 November 1944. It was one of 13 stamps printed in the Overrun Countries Series, which honoured each of the nations invaded by Axis powers during World War II. President Franklin Roosevelt took a personal interest in this series of stamps, as he wished to show the world that America was in this war to achieve world peace, not military dominance. With this in mind, the President suggested the U.S. issue a series of stamps picturing the flags of all the overrun nations in Europe.
In the border surrounding each flag, Roosevelt suggested picturing the Phoenix – an ancient symbol of rebirth. He believed “It might tell those suffering victims in Europe that we are struggling for their own regeneration.” The other side of each flag pictured a kneeling woman “breaking the shackles of oppression.”
When the time came to print the stamps, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing was unable to print the multiple colours needed for each flag, so the American Bank Note Company received a special contract for this series. The Korea Overrun stamps total was 14,999,646 copies.
A 3-cent violet stamp issued on 27 September 1944, paid tribute to the final resistance of Philippine and American defenders on Corregidor. This island fortress, located at the entrance to Manila Bay, served as headquarters for American forces until its capture by the Japanese in 1942. The twenty-seven-day struggle by the defenders against overwhelming enemy forces thwarted Japanese plans to advance on Australia. General Douglas MacArthur and his forces recaptured Corregidor in 1945, making good his promise, "I shall return!"
A 3-cent yellow-green stamp was issued on 11 July 1945. When this stamp was first proposed, some people protested because it was planned to be printed in purple and because it would picture living people – a violation of postal regulations. At the time, purple was the designated colour for the 3¢ first-class letter rate, but postal authorities changed the colour to Marine green. The USPS answered the other concern replying that the stamp didn’t honour specific individuals, rather it highlighted the fighting spirit of the Marines on Iwo Jima. Despite these early objections, the stamp went on to become the most popular US commemorative at that time. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing released 137,321,000 copies of the stamp, using a rotary press
The stamp recreated the iconic Joe Rosenthal photograph of six Marines raising the flag over Mount Suribachi on 23 February 1945. The photo would go on to win a Pulitzer Prize for Photography and is considered one of the most recognisable images from WWII.
On 14 August 1945, when President Harry Truman took to the airwaves to announce that Japan had accepted the terms of surrender and that the war was over, the news sparked spontaneous celebrations across the United States, including in Times Square where photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt captured a joyous sailor kissing a passing nurse. Although the couple remained anonymous when the photo was printed in Life magazine, extensive forensic analysis later determined that George Mendonsa and Greta Zimmer Friedman were the sailor and nurse in the photo. Interestingly, helping establish the identity of Mendonsa’s as the sailor is that fact that his future wife could be seen just over his right shoulder. The two had been out on a date when Mendonsa felt compelled to kiss the first nurse he saw in appreciation for what they had done for the wounded during the war.
The USPS cancellation postmark for this 50th Anniversary End of WWII stamp originated from Honolulu, Hawaii on 2 September 1995.
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