The recent collection of food by mail carriers in Vicksburg brought to mind how much I appreciate the U.S. Postal Service.

I rely on the everyday joy of receiving mail deliveries and admire the tirelessness of the employees. We truly appreciate our local “postman” and consider him a friend. We also appreciate the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff at the Vicksburg Post Office.

My childhood memories of the U.S. Post Office, before it became the Postal Service, an independent agency, are vivid. I think that many folks are too young to know or have forgotten the history of the U.S. Post Office. The following quote from a Wikipedia article gives a brief synopsis:

“The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an independent agency of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the United States, including its insular areas and associated states. It is one of the few government agencies explicitly authorized by the United States Constitution.

The U.S. Mail traces its roots to 1775 during the Second Continental Congress, when Benjamin Franklin was appointed the first postmaster general. The Post Office Department was created in 1792 from Franklin’s operation, elevated to a cabinet-level department in 1872, and transformed in 1971 into the U.S. Postal Service as an independent agency.”

I always cringe when I hear someone refer to “snail mail” or decry the dependability of the Postal Service. I have always found the mail service quick and dependable. I admit to being a devoted user of internet options, such as e-mail; however, receiving an e-mail never compares to receiving a physical piece of mail.

Dwain Butler

Vicksburg