United States: Hundreds of Marines reported to US Postal Service offices around the country on temporary assignment to protect the movement of the nation’s mail from gangsters and bandits in 1921.
Throughout the preceding months, criminals had targeted mail trains and trucks, making off with millions of dollars’ worth of jewels, bonds, cash, and other precious items. Frustrated by the consistent thefts, Postmaster General William Hays asked President William Harding for federal troops to assist with security where mail carriers and local law enforcement were unable to fend off robberies.
Harding immediately obliged and turned the request over to the Secretary of the Navy Edwin C. Denby on Nov. 7, 1921. Harding instructed Denby, a #MarineCorps major who had served in WWI and a member of the 1895 Michigan Football team, to dispatch leathernecks throughout the United States to protect the mail shipments.
Denby wrote to Commandant of the Marine Corps General John A. Lejune on Nov. 11, 1921 to mobilize and deploy Marines throughout the country to protect mail. Lejeune’s staff drafted orders for 2200 enlisted and 53 officers to be formed into 22 guard companies and disbursed throughout the United States.
The fighting reputation of Marines was already so legendary in the American public that all robberies ceased once they began escorting mail trucks and trains. As such, the Marines were withdrawn from their duties on March 15, 1922.
However, the next year robberies began again. Approximately 2500 Marines were again dispatched to guard mail again in 1923. These Marines would carry heavier firepower, such as the Browning Automatic Rifle and a weapon new to the U.S. Military, the Thompson submachine gun.
These Marines would remain on guard duty until 1927, when they were withdrawn and redeployed for operations in Nicaragua in the Banana Wars.
