U.S. #2981g
By 1945, World War II has uprooted millions – World War II
- Fifth and final souvenir sheet issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of World War II
- Includes 10 stamps plus a world map
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Series: World War II
Value: 32¢ (Denomination of each individual stamp)
First Day of Issue: September 2, 1995
First Day City: Honolulu, Hawaii
Quantity Issued (if known): 100,000,000
Printed by: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Offset, Intaglio
Format: Sheetlets of 10 (arranged in 2 strips of 5, one across the top and one across the bottom of the sheetlet, with world map in between)
Perforations: 11.1 (Eureka off-line perforator)
Tagging: Overall, large block covering stamps and part of selvage
Why the stamp was issued: This souvenir sheet was issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of World War II. It was the last in a series of five that were issued over the course of five years.
About the stamp design: Stamp artist William Bond looked at many images of refugees before painting the image for this stamp. However, there was no photo in particular that he used as a reference.
First Day City: The stamps were dedicated in Honolulu, Hawaii. Aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, the ceremony took place in view of the USS Arizona Memorial.
About the World War II Series: As the 50th anniversary of World War II was approaching, the US Postal Service wanted a series that would recognize the key events of the war and the important contributions America made to the Allied victory. Rather than issue a large number of stamps, the USPS decided to create five sheetlets, each commemorating one year of America’s involvement in the war. Each sheetlet had 10 different stamps arranged in two horizontal strips of 5. In the center was a world map with Allied and neutral nations in yellow and Axis-controlled areas in red. Notes on the map highlighted key developments that occurred that year. The stamps each featured important events that took place during the year, as well.
History the stamp represents: During World War II destructive force was used against civilians in an unprecedented manner. Civilians were specifically targeted, and subjected to starvation, bombing raids, massacres, epidemics, and other war related hazards. The results were catastrophic.
The war uprooted millions of people – more than 12 million were displaced in Europe alone. These included orphans, prisoners of war, Holocaust survivors, and people who had fled from armies and war-torn areas. Many people left their homes due to the reorganization of natural boundaries during the war. Large numbers of Germans had moved into Poland, Czechoslovakia, and other Eastern European countries under Nazi control, but they were later expelled. After the war many refugees from Eastern European nations were unwilling to return to their homelands due to the totalitarian communist governments that had taken power.
To remedy this immense problem the Allies created the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration or UNRRA. It first began operating in 1944 in areas freed from Nazi occupation. UNRRA efforts involved setting up camps which supplied food, clothing, and medical care. In 1947 there were still one million refugees in the camps waiting for homes.