This mint self-adhesive stamp was issued on May 26, 2006, to honor the sacrifices of the men and women who defend the United States of America. Originally established by George Washington during the Revolutionary War, the Purple Heart was reinstated in 1932 as an award of appreciation to American military casualties. It is the world's oldest military decoration in present use. This stamp is a re-issue, with a new denomination and 2006 year date, of a Purple Heart stamp issued during 2003 (see item MY60).

Issued on Aug. 1, 1957, this mint United States airmail stamp, according to the Postal Service, commemorated the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Air Force. With the "United States Air Force" being founded on Sept. 18, 1947, this anniversary is misleading. This stamp issue actually commemorates the 50th anniversary of the "root" of the U.S.A.F. lineage- the formation of the Aeronautical Division of the U.S. Signal Corps on Aug. 1, 1907. The stamp design features a B-52 Stratofortress and F-104 Starfighters.

Issued on Apr. 1, 2004, this mint self-adhesive stamp commemorated the 50th anniversary of the United States Air Force Academy. The design features the famous cadet chapel, which reaches 150 feet into the sky. The background of the stamp design shows horizontal white lines representing the contrails of high flying Air Force jets.

This mint self-adhesive stamp was issued during 2003 to honor the sacrifices of the men and women who defend the United States of America. Originally established by George Washington during the Revolutionary War, the Purple Heart was reinstated in 1932 as an award of appreciation to American military casualties. It is the world's oldest military decoration in present use.This stamp was re-issued with a new denomination and year date on May 26, 2006 (see item MY68).

The United States issued this "Women in Military Service" stamp on Oct. 18, 1997, in conjunction with the dedication of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington National Cementery near Washington, D.C. The attractive design features women in uniform from the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.

This mint self-adhesive stamp, issued on Oct. 14, 1997, pays tribute to the 50th anniversary of the historic 1947 flight at Edward's Air Force Base in which Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier with a Bell X-1 rocket aircraft. This was the first time a piloted aircraft flew faster than Mach 1. This flight occurred during the first year of existence of the U.S. Department of the Air Force.

This mint stamp, issued by the United States on Sept. 18, 1997, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Department of the Air Force, the youngest branch of the U.S. armed forces. The design features the United States Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team flying F-18 fighter jets in close "Diamond-Four" formation.

This sheet of 20 mint stamps was issued by the United States on July 19, 1997. As stated on the back of the sheet, "The aircraft chosen for this Classic Collection are representative of the first fifty years of powered flight in America. They are a chronicle of our aviation history from the days of wood-framed, fabric-covered contraptions to high-flying, supersonic vehicles." Descriptive text about the aircraft is included on the back of each stamp. Please click on the image or "Details" to view a listing of the featured aircraft.

This mint stamp was issued on May 21, 1955, to honor the Reserves of all of the U.S. armed forces. The stamp design features Reservists from the Marines, Coast Guard, Army, Navy, and Air Force.

This mint stamp was issued on september 11, 1952, to honor the women in the U.S. armed services. The image depicts women in uniform from each of the four armed services: Marine Corps, Army, Navy, and Air Force. More than 40,000 women served in World War II.