Coal miner stamp is warranted
Disclaimer: Letters to the Editor express the opinion of the writer and are not necessarily the opinion of WBIG ownership, management or staff.
For years we have tried to get a postage stamp to honor the unsung heroes that made this country great, the coal miners. Well, finally in August the US Postal Service will be issuing a series of Forever stamps entitled “Made in America: Building a Nation.” The Postal Service noted that these stamps honor the courageous workers who helped build the United States.
Included are stamps of an airplane maker, a linotyper in a publishing house, a millinery apprentice, men working on the Empire State Building, a powerhouse mechanic, a railroad track walker, a textile worker and a coal miner.
Of course, here in northeastern Pennsylvania, many of our ancestors worked in the mines and I am glad to see coal miners getting this well-deserved recognition. If anyone wants to see what the miners experienced working deep underground, they should take the Mine Tour at McDade Park. The Lackawanna County Website explains that you are actually 300 feet beneath the surface of the earth as you travel through an abandoned anthracite coal mine. See how men toiled on their hands and knees to harvest the black diamonds that changed the course of American history.
God Bless all the coal miners from NEPA who are no longer with us, may they rest in peace!
Barbara Yanchek, Jermyn
