Did You Know?

The Mail Must Go Through

by Blake Stilwell Reprinted from "We Are the Mighty," October 24, 2021

The “Great War” had ended, and the “Roaring Twenties” had begun. It was a time of financial excesses, upheavals in social order; a rise of Communism and Fascism and a time before the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). America had entered the world stage as a major player and was shedding its frontier image. But some old habits die hard.

The Roaring Twenties were a time when everything of value moved via the US Mail, and criminals had declared war on the US Mail. In the period of April 1920 to April 1921, there were 36 major armed robberies of the U.S. Mail which netted $6,300,000 (approximately $70,623,000 in 2009). In response, the US Postmaster armed postal workers which resulted in the deaths of several postal employees, several robbers and a loss of $300,000. In desperation, the U.S. Postmaster appealed to President Harding for assistance.

In 1878, Congress passed the Posse Comitatus Act in response to the excesses of the U.S. Army during the Reconstruction in the South. The Act strictly forbade the use of the U.S. military for law enforcement purposes except during times of national emergency or martial law. Strangely, the Act did not apply to the US Navy nor the U.S. Marine Corps, although this was rectified many years later. President Harding forwarded the US Postmaster’s request to the Secretary of the Navy, Mr. Edwin Denby, who in turn contacted the Commandant of the Marine Corps. The Marine Commandant had anticipated such a request and was prepared when he was contacted by SECNAV Denby. The Marines deployed within days of notification, and it was no token show of force or small scale operation. The original contingent of 53 officers and 2,200 enlisted men were quickly dispatched throughout the country; heavily armed, serious and ready for action.

SECNAV Denby had been an enlisted Marine and had retired from the Marines as a Major. In a letter to the US Marine “Mail Guards,” Secretary Denby clearly defined the Marines’ mission and his expectations: “…You must be brave, as you always are. You must be constantly alert. You must, when on guard duty, keep your weapon in hand, if attacked, shoot and shoot to kill. There is no compromise with the bandits. If two Marines, guarding a mail car, are suddenly covered by a robber, neither must hold up his hands, but both must begin shooting at once. One may be killed, but the other will get the robber and save the mail. When our men go in as guards over mail, that mail must be delivered or there must be a Marine dead at the post of duty…”

Simple enough. The mail must be delivered or a Marine must have died trying to protect it. Within days of deployment, Marines were found in rail cars and mail trucks. They had their orders and they were now the protectors of the US Mail. The Marine detachment was formally recognized as the Marine Mail Guards, and their duty was considered as Guard Duty. The importance of this step cannot be ignored. The safety and order of an entire unit depends upon those who stand Guard. This importance is underscored by the fact that sleeping on Guard Duty can be punished by death in time of war and by heavy penalties in time of peace.

The Marines were heavily armed for their duties, and carried M-1897 Winchester 12Ga Trench Shotguns and M1911A1 .45 Caliber Semiautomatic Pistols. The shotguns were loaded with 00 buckshot, and carried with an empty chamber to prevent accidents, but always in hand. The pistols were carried “cocked and locked” with a round in the chamber, the hammer back and the safety engaged. During movement, Marines were expected to have the pistol in their hands, ready for any action. Otherwise, their holsters were to be tied down to their legs, with their flaps folded back and the pistol ready for immediate use. The Marines clearly displayed that they meant business.

Soon after their deployment, the robberies stopped, and there was not a single delivery of the mail disrupted while the Marines stood guard. It was later written: “Their mere presence has been enough to bring peace and order.” The violent armed robbers who had only days before terrorized the mail and railway services wanted no part of any fight with the Marines.

The first Marine Mail Guard deployment lasted from October 1921 until March 1922

In 1926, a mail truck driver was brutally robbed and murdered in Elizabeth, NJ. The public was outraged and President Coolidge issued an Executive Order calling for the Marines to again protect the mail.

Again, this was no small token deployment or small scale operation. General Smedley Butler, holder of two Medals of Honor and veteran of numerous wars and campaigns commanded the Western Mail Guards while General Logan Feland commanded the Eastern Mail Guards. Using mainly the 4th Marine Regiment, the Marine Mail Guards quickly spread through parts of Texas and 11 other states. Once again, Marines became familiar sights to the public on mail trains and trucks. During this deployment, only one mail robbery attempt was made – against an empty and unguarded train. As during their first mail guard deployment, the robbers did not want to go against armed and determined Marines.

By January 1927, Marine Mail Guards began to filter back to their home bases. Although welcomed by the public, they had accomplished their mission and returned to their primary job – being Soldiers from the Sea. The Marine Mail Guard mission ended in February 1927 as the last of the Marines left the U.S. Mail trucks and trains.

Soon, many of these men were deployed to China and Nicaragua where they fought against warlords, bandits and revolutionaries even more daring, dangerous and deadly than the mail robbers.

Their mission was accomplished without a shot being fired. The mail must go through, and it did.

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