Letters to all executive heads of state and governors-general in North and South America were sent out today. We’re looking forward to hearing from our neighbors!
Address research: Africa
I completed compiling and verifying addresses for leaders in Africa late last week. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I found many addresses were not published; so I sent queries to UN missions for any official contacts.
This morning, the Permanent Mission of Guinea-Bissau to the UN sent a polite note stating I could forward Anson’s letter which they’d pass along to their President. Since this is the case, the first letter to go out will be to H.E. Umaro Sissoco Embaló.
Minister of State, Monaco & President of Ireland
Looking at Addresses
To start the project in 2019, I consulted the international who’s who of world leaders to get mailing addresses for all the heads of state or heads of government. Starting up in 2025, I learned that the online guide is no longer published, so to update addresses and leaders in preparation for the mailings, I have to scrape UN and embassy websites. I was able to breeze through Europe. Africa and Asia are a bit of a challenge. Maybe next week I’ll do the Americas and Oceania.
His Eminence Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga
A lovely letter came back to Anson today – never before had he known about the Vatican nor the Pope. The Cardinal sent a message of hope – an excellent opening to this new chapter of writing.
Re-starting the letter campaign
With the world opening up, so too has international mail service. Dusting off old address lists, I have started with Europe, since it figures so much in our news cycles in the United States. A batch of letters went out yesterday and today, starting with Andorra and ending with Luxembourg. In addition to the letters to European leaders, I sent letters to our new President and Vice President – our old one did not respond. I am optimistic that thoughtful responses will arrive in our mailbox, soon.
Europe mailing complete
The remainder of the letters to European leaders is complete and stamped and awaiting hand-delivery to the post office; the contested territories of Crimea, Transnistria, and Northern Cyprus are not serviced by the United States Postal Service so, I will need to find another means to mail their leaders. I may need to set up a contested territories list at some point… Next up, are Palau’s states and the nations of Oceania.
Compact of Free Association
After reviewing the Compact of Free Association list, I noted that not a single nation sent a letter back; I looked to see if any had elections in the intervening years since 2019 – and most all have new leadership. I updated my address list, and off the letters went to each president and governor.
I did not realize that Palau had a federal structure like that of the Federated States of Micronesia; I am researching the governors of each of its sixteen states… look for an addendum in the upcoming weeks.
Hello again
This site has lain fallow for over a year.
I had lost my momentum in sending letters out to world and local leaders. The pandemic that swept across my community and quarantine put most of my projects on pause. My family and I sheltered in place and watched the world outside our windows go ablaze due to social unrest with some of our political leaders fanning the flames. This year has been a dark one. As a parent, I have had to teach calm and admit that ours is a dangerous world, yet offer hope for a future time when all is behind us.
Recently, however, in the space of a couple of weeks, two letters reached our mailbox: one from Dom Dinis, the Duke of Braganza and pretender to the Portuguese throne, and a dual letter from the British Resident and United States base commander at Diego Garcia in British Indian Ocean Territory. Their letters were inspiring, and they illustrated how there are people both concerned and striving to make their corner of the world a better place. Their words were encouraging to Anson – they affected him to think about what they wrote, deeply.
And it is due to Dom Dinis and those letters from the British Indian Ocean Territory that I’m re-starting this project. This month I’ll start by sending letters off to non-governmental and religious groups; they often fight for making the world a better place. And then, I’ll draw a straw and see what continent is next.
References for the Collector
U.S. Maritime Service Commissioned and Warrant Officer hat
Winter hat; navy blue wool with wicker frame, ½-in. wide. gold bullion chinstrap and two 22½-ligne gilt cap screws. (note: if strap is ¼-in., hat would be that of a warrant officer).
Circa Second World War.
It is one thing to collect, and another to actually know what one is collecting. As follows is a reference bibliography of use to collectors of Second World War period maritime insignia; I owe a great debt of gratitude to Herbert “Sarge” Booker for sharing with me his archive of The Crow’s Nest as well as placing me in contact with Rudy Barsuto, Steve Soto, and Dave Collar. Each of these individuals has proven an excellent correspondent in matters of maritime insignia.
Some of the references below deserve a bit of an introduction. The Crow’s Nest is mainly a pictorial review in zine format shared among aficionados of maritime insignia and self-published by Sarge; in its various issues are India ink drawings done by Sarge complemented with photographs of various insignia and charts from uniform manuals; it is an interesting zine the likes of which I have never seen before (and perhaps never again). Of particular interest are the self-published monographs by Steve Soto and Rudy Basurto; they synthesize and order collections. In regard to Insignia by Mr. Basurto, it is a singular work that presents civilian insignia – it is a bit loose on time period, but most of the illustrations are from around the Second World War; Sarge was the artist, designer, and typesetter of study – he insisted I make this work available on this site.
Works that may be downloaded or purchased online have their titles in bold.
Rudy Basurto & Herbert Hillary “Sarge” Booker, 2nd
Insignia of America’s Little Known Seafarers, 2nd Ed. Privately Printed, nd.
Insignia of America’s Little Known Seafarers, 3rd Ed. (edited and revised by Steve Soto and Cynthia Soto). Privately Printed, 2008.
N.B. May be purchased by contacting Mr. Soto.
Herbert Hillary “Sarge” Booker, 2nd
The Crow’s Nest #1 (Summer 1992).
The Crow’s Nest #2 (Autumn 1992).
The Crow’s Nest #3 (Winter 1992).
The Crow’s Nest #4 (New Year’s Special Issue – 1993).
The Crow’s Nest #5 (Summer 1993).
The Crow’s Nest #6 (Mid-Summer 1993).
The Crow’s Nest #7 (Autumn 1993).
The Crow’s Nest #8 (Special 1993 Encyclopedia Edition).
The Crow’s Nest #9 (Fall 1993).
The Crow’s Nest #10 (1994 New Year’s Special).
The Crow’s Nest #11 (Spring 1994).
The Crow’s Nest #11 (Spring 1994 – The Issue That Never Was).
The Crow’s Nest #12 (Summer 1994).
The Crow’s Nest #13 (Fall 1994).
Speciality and Distinguishing Marks: U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Maritime Service, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Public Health Service, 3rd Revision. Privately Printed, 1996.
Dave Collar
“Insignia of the Army Transportation Service in World War II.” ASMIC: The Trading Post October-December 1994: 29-43.
“Insignia of the United States Maritime Service, World War II.” ASMIC: The Trading Post April-June 1995.
“Insignia of the United States Shipping Board.” ASMIC: The Trading Post October-December 1996.
William K. Emerson
“Section XIII. The Army’s Navy: Chapter Thirty-Six. Army Transport Service and Harbor Boat Service” in Encyclopedia of United States Army Insignia and Uniforms.
Steve Soto & Cynthia Soto
A collector’s guide to the History, Uniforms and Memorabilia of the U.S. Merchant Marine and Army Transport Service during World War II. Privately Printed, 1996 (revised 2008).
N.B. May be purchased by contacting Mr. Soto.
Joseph J. Tonelli
Visor hats of the United States Armed Forces: 1930-1950. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publications, 2003.
US Military Cap Insignia. Website with Joe’s (always growing) collection.
Jeff Warner
“U.S. Merchant Marine” in U.S. Navy Uniforms in World War II Series; Weapons, Equipment, and Insignia: Submarine Service, PT Boats, Coast Guard, other Sea Services. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publications, 2008.