This 1970 First Day Cover features a pair of 6¢ U.S. stamps issued November 24, 1970, in Montgomery, Alabama. One stamp marks the 50th anniversary of the Disabled American Veterans; the second honors U.S. servicemen who were prisoners of war, missing, or killed in action. The cover bears a handsome Art Craft cachet showing chained hands releasing a dove of peace over a globe.
The issue appeared during the Vietnam War era, when public attention to American POWs and MIAs was intense. The DAV had been founded in 1920 to aid veterans disabled in World War I; its golden anniversary provided a fitting occasion to spotlight the continuing sacrifices of later generations.
Art Craft’s dramatic artwork—two hands breaking chains beneath a white dove—remains one of the most evocative cachets of the period. The postmark date, Montgomery, Alabama, matches the official first-day city.
A fine addition for collectors of Vietnam-era postal history, POW/MIA topicals, or Art Craft cachets, this cover displays fresh color and a clear strike of the distinctive Montgomery cancel.
