The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion

During the first World War Ralph Lindsey, my great grandfather, kept a journal of his service on the front. He wrote about the front, his travels, his wounds, but the thing that came up most often – the mail. Fast-forward 100 years. Even in the digital age there is something uniquely personal about a written letter – it creates a connection that digital communications simply cannot match. Anyone who has served in the military knows – no mail equals low morale.

In early 1945 as the Battle of the Bulge concluded Army officials reported that a lack mail was hurting morale. Warehouses were filled...