Monday, March 12, 1934

Daddy took Virginia, Beatrice and me to school. Nadine came to the library, but Pauline didn't.

March 12, 1934 - Lieutenants E.C. Plummer (left) and H.M. McCoy preparing 

for an airmail flight at Newark, New Jersey, airfield.

The first regularly scheduled airmail service began in the U.S. on May 15, 1918. The Post
Office Department (POD) oversaw the service, but having no reservoir of experienced
 pilots, looked to U.S. Army Air Corps pilots to fly the mail for the first three months. On
August 12, 1918, the POD took over full control of the service, using its own pilots. The
 Department transferred responsibility for airmail service over to private companies in the
late 1920s through a series of acts aimed at using postal funds to support the nation’s
fledgling aviation industry. Young aviation companies snatched up most of the postal
 pilots, who were greatly prized for their mail flying experience.