Medal of Honor: Vietnam War (U.S. 2015)

Updated May 20th: Here are the inside pages for the booklet, with photographs of most of the living recipients.

But not one, the one who lives closest to the first day ceremony, in a Washington suburb: He hates his official DOD photo, and wouldn’t give permission for its use!

If you click on the pictures, you’ll get larger versions on which the text should be readable.

Updated May 13th: Here are the first day postmarks for this issue: size: 2.16″ x 2.60″3.96″ x 1.97″

Updated April 15th from the Postal Bulletin:

On May 25, 2015, in Washington, DC, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue Medal of Honor: Vietnam War First-Class Mail® Forever® stamps, in three designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) prestige folio of 24 stamps (Item 589700).

The stamps will go on sale nationwide May 25, 2015.

In October 2014, the U.S. Postal Service invited the last living Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipients to join in honoring the extraordinary courage of every member awarded the medal for their valorous actions during the war. The first and fourth pages of this four-page prestige folio display photographs of the 48 living recipients of the Medal of Honor from the Vietnam War who agreed to be part of this issuance. The photographs on each of these pages surround a group of 12 Forever stamps (24 total), consisting of three different designs, one for each version of the Medal of Honor: that of the Army, the Navy (also presented to members of the Marine Corps), and the Air Force. Page two contains a short piece of text and a key to the individuals pictured. Page three features an alphabetical listing of those individuals who agreed to be included and of the deceased Medal of Honor recipients from the Vietnam War. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the prestige folio and the stamps, working with photographs of the medals by Richard Frasier.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store® website at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Medal of Honor: Vietnam War Stamps
Special Events
PO Box 92282
Washington, DC 20090-2282

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by July 24, 2015.

There are nine philatelic products for this stamp issue:

589706 Press Sheet with Die-cut, $35.28 (print quantity 1,000)
589708 Press Sheet without Die-cut, $35.28 (print quantity 1,500)
589710 Digital Color Postmark Keepsake (set of 3), $16.95
589716 First-Day Cover (set of 3), $2.79
589721 Digital Color Postmark (set of 3), $4.92
589724 Framed Art, $39.95
589730 Ceremony Program, $6.95
589731 Stamp Deck Card, $0.95
589732 Stamp Deck Card with Digital Color Postmark (random stamp), $1.99

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Medal of Honor: Vietnam War Stamps
Item Number: 589700
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Prestige Folio of 24 (3 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: May 25, 2015, Washington DC 20066
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Typographer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Photographer: Richard Frasier, Vienna, VA
Modeler: Donald Woo
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America/SSP
Printed at: Browns Summit, NC
Press Type: Alprinta 74
Stamps per Pane: 24
Print Quantity: 30 million stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor Tagged Paper, Block
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Banknote Corporation of America, Browns Summit SC
Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Metallic Gold, Gray
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 0.84 x 1.42 in./21.34 x 36.07 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 0.98 x 1.56 in./24.89 x 39.62 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.5 x 17.0 in./7.5 x 8.5 mm (folded)
Press Sheets Size  (w x h): 22.5 x 17.00 in./ 571.50 x 431.80 mm
Plate Size: 72 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “S” followed by six (6) single digits
Marginal Markings: © 2015 USPS • Plate position diagram  • Barcode (589700) • Promotional text

Updated March 24th: First day ceremony information from the USPS: Medal of Honor Vietnam
Memorial Day, May 25 at 1:30 p.m.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in DC

From the USPS Conference Call earlier in the month:
May 25th, Washington first day: 1 p.m. ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial “The Wall.” The front and back of the panes will be a little different than previous Medal of Honor issues. There are 48 living recipients who have agreed to be part of this. Some will be depicted on the front, some on the back, and a listing of all the recipients will be “inside.” Panes of 24. More from the USPS:
With Medal of Honor: Vietnam War, the U.S. Postal Service® issues its third prestige folio.

This format consists of a large sheet folded in half to form four separate pages. When folded, the two-pane design is 8 ½ inches wide by 7 ½ inches tall.

The first and fourth pages (front and back) display photographs of the 48 living recipients who agreed to be part of the Medal of Honor Vietnam War issuance.

The photographs on each of these pages surround a group of 12 Forever® stamps (24 total), consisting of three different designs, one for the Medal of Honor: for the Army, the Navy (also presented to members of the Marine Corps), and for the Air Force (1960s).

Page two contains selvage text and a key to the individuals pictured. Page three consists of an alphabetical listing of those living individuals who agreed to be included and of the deceased Medal of Honor recipients from the Vietnam War.

Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the prestige folio and the stamps, working with photographs of the medals by Richard Frasier.

Currently finalizing and getting approval for photographs of the living recipients.

[March 5th press release]

Vietnam Medal of Honor Recipients To be Recognized on Forever Stamp Sheet
Stamps to be Dedicated Memorial Day at Vietnam Veterans Memorial

WASHINGTON — Sun., March 8, marks the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the ground war in Vietnam with the deployment of 3,500 Marines. By war’s end on April 30, 1975, nearly 3 million service men and women fought in the conflict that would take the lives of more than 58,000 Americans.

Of those who served during the Vietnam War, 258 were awarded the Medal of Honor. More than six out of 10 award recipients made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives while performing the courageous acts for which they were later honored. American military advisers had been involved in South Vietnam since the 1950s.

The Postal Service will honor these brave Americans by dedicating the Limited Edition Vietnam War Medal of Honor Prestige Folio Forever stamps on Memorial Day, May 25. The 1 p.m. ceremony, hosted by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, and the National Park Service, will take place at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The event is free and open to the public.

The Prestige Folio stamp sheet depicting many of the nearly 50 living Vietnam War recipients will be previewed later. The folio, which lists the names of all 258 recipients, will be modeled after the World War II and Korean War Medal of Honor Prestige Folio stamp sheets issued in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Nation’s Most Prestigious Military Decoration
The Medal of Honor is our nation’s most prestigious military decoration. It is awarded by the president of the United States on behalf of Congress to members of the armed services who distinguish themselves through “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty” while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States.

The Medal of Honor traces its origins to the first year of the Civil War, when Congress saw the need for a formal means of recognizing or rewarding acts of heroism. In 1861, James W. Grimes, a senator from Iowa, introduced a bill to “promote the efficiency of the Navy” by distributing “medals of honor.” President Abraham Lincoln signed the bill into law on Dec. 21, 1861. Lincoln signed a similar measure on behalf of the U.S. Army on July 12, 1862, and the country had two Medals of Honor: one for sailors, and one for soldiers.

Three Versions of the Medal of Honor
There are now three similar, yet distinct, versions of the Medal of Honor, one for each Military Department (Army, Navy, and Air Force). The medals are similar in that each consists of a variation of a five-pointed star worn around the neck on a light blue ribbon. The Navy version is awarded to those serving in the Navy and Marine Corps, and during times of war, to members of the Coast Guard. The Air Force, which was established as an independent department in 1947, adopted its distinctive Medal of Honor in 1965. The first presentation of the U.S. Air Force’s medal took place in 1967 during the Vietnam War.