Postal History from Spruce Soldiers, U.S. Pacific Northwest, 1918

by Bob Swanson

About 28,000 Army Signal Corps men worked in the Pacific Northwest, logging spruce, and building roads and railroads into the previously-inaccessible spruce timber groves
Spruce lumber was particularly needed to build airplanes for the war effort
Postal history material is quite uncommon from these soldiers

Real-Photo of Spruce Soldiers (89th Spruce Squadron) (Click on image to see larger version.)

In the field, many spruce camps were in inaccessable areas, with no Post Offices, telephones, or telegraphs
Most covers or cards do not show any military markings or origin
Any image or postal history item from this area is uncommon

Front of Cover from Spruce Soldier, Clatsop, Oregon (Click on image to see larger version.)

Whoever handled mail from Clatsop, did not have a canceling device, so used a rubber-stamp dater
This example shows that Spruce Soldier mail often looks just like any other mail
Only the back of the cover reveals that this was mail from a Spruce Soldier.

Back of Cover from Spruce Soldier, Clatsop, Oregon, with return address (Click on image to see larger version.)

Return address is for a soldier in the 73rd Spruce Squadron, located at "Camp 1-B", Smith-Porter operations
Work at or near this location included riving (splitting large spruce logs), log hauling, building of temporary haul roads, and working on new railroads.
The tasks listed above were performed largely by manual labor

Spruce Soldier Postcard from Vancouver Barracks, Washington (Click on image to see larger version.)

Canceled by the Universal machine of Vancouver, Washington, August 2, 1918
He indicates he is in a "Casual Company", probably awaiting assignment to a logging or construction squadron
Vancouver Barracks was the main facility for gathering solders for duty in the forests.
His quote "we are 48,000 strong" is an exaggeration, as only about 28,000 soldiers were in Spruce units.

Spruce Soldier Postcard from South Bend, Washington (Click on image to see larger version.)

Canceled by the handstamp of South Bend, Washington, June 26, 1918
South Bend had Spruce Squadron units building a railroad to reach the stands of spruce trees nearby
Note return address of Nemah, Washington, located near South Bend.
(Post Office listings do not mention a Post Office in South Bend, Washington)

Picture Side of Previous Postcard, a Photo Image Showing a Spruce Tent Camp Near South Bend, Washington (Click on image to see larger version.)

Photo of Spruce Squadron Railroad Construction (Click on image to see larger version.)

Collectors should watch for Spruce Soldier postal history items, postmarked in Oregon and Washington in 1918
Note that this material may look just like civilian mail of that era

Cover examples from the collection of Bob Swanson as well as items generously provided by the families of Spruce Soldiers

Spruce Squadron information provided by Rod Crossley in his book Soldiers in the Woods

Mini-Presentation updated 9 February 2018

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