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Flag notice, rare letter and more

Two employees raise the POW-MIA flag
Larry Ashmore, a custodian at the Covina, CA, Post Office and a Vietnam War veteran, raises the POW-MIA flag last year with help from Michael Chang, a letter carrier.

Flag reminder. Wednesday, July 4, is Independence Day, one of six days each year Postal Service facilities are required to fly the POW-MIA flag.

The flag honors the sacrifices made by members of the armed forces held as prisoners of war or listed as missing in action.

Facilities that are open July 4 must display the POW-MIA flag, which must fly below the U.S. flag.

For more information, refer to the Postal Service’s guidelines for U.S. flag display and maintenance, as well as the requirements for displaying the POW-MIA flag.

Rare return. Following a multi-year investigation, federal officials have announced the return of a letter written by Christopher Columbus that is more than 500 years old.

The 1493 letter, which described Columbus’s discoveries of the Americas, was stolen from the Vatican Library in Rome and replaced with a forgery.

Acting on a tip, authorities launched the investigation that led to finding the authentic copy in a private art collection in Atlanta. The collector had purchased it in good faith in 2004 for $875,000.

Officials have returned two other Columbus letters to their rightful owners in recent years. 

Stamp stumper. The Frozen Treats stamps were briefly featured in a “Who knew?” segment that aired on NBC’s “Today” this week.

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