183 Wieri Road, Woodland, Washington 98674-9211

July 30, 2005 Rex of White Way Sample Letter to: Senator/Congressman/Citizen Advisory Council on Stamp Selection

Re: Rex of White Way

Dear Senator/Congressman/Citizen Advisory Council on Stamp Selection,

Your assistance is requested in obtaining a U.S. postage stamp commemorating the life and accomplishments of a former U.S. mail carrier who was the greatest working Samoyed ever, Rex of White Way! The original request for a postage stamp was August of 2003. Rex's early career began as the lead dog on Lloyd Van Sickle's U.S. mail route from Ashton, Idaho to West Yellowstone where Rex helped deliver the mail in often blizzard conditions on the 64-mile "run." This distance is roughly comparable to driving a sled team in snow from downtown Washington, DC to Fredericksburg, Virginia - without the 7,072-foot high Targhee Pass - and returning to start another run. Rex and the team were lost in a blizzard once on the mail run and it is believed that Rex used the hum and static in the U.S. Forest Service's telephone lines to bring the mail team home through the southern part of Ashton! Lloyd Van Sickle called Rex the best trail maker in snow he ever worked with and said "Rex would climb a tree if I told him to." As background, Samoyeds are a working breed and introduced into the U.S. from Siberia through England in the early 1900's and contributed greatly in the early polar expeditions. Rex was bred and owned by Agnes Mason of Sacramento, California, trained principally by Lloyd Van Sickle and lived from 1946 to 1957 in California and Idaho. He was a pure-bred Samoyed who performed at the highest levels in many venues including delivering the U.S. mail, leading rescue missions, weight pulling, sled racing, parades, conformation dog shows, and expositions. Rex was invaluable in several arduous rescue operations where he was used to: 1. Pull out stranded snow-bound campers, 2. Rescue 3 survivors in a downed plane, 3. Rescue passengers from a snow-bound train, "The City of San Francisco," 4. Pull out 3 downed planes, 5. Lead teams in the Cedars rescue and Ever Valley snow removal rescue. In 1952, in the middle of the Golden Gate dog show, Rex was urgently needed to take doctors to a snow-bound train in the Sierra Mountains and so Rex had to leave the show to be flown to Donner Pass, which resulted in another successful and very difficult rescue. Rex's value in rescue work was deemed more important than show wins and it is a fact that Rex never attained his show championship although he is behind a significant number of Samoyed breeding programs today.

In 1953, Rex appeared as part of the production crew of "Islands in the Sky" which featured John Wayne. By this point he had become an international hero, as his exploits had made him famous.

Rex broke the world record in 1953 by pulling 1,870 pounds. The record was set based on his weight and the amount actually pulled making him the strongest dog in the world on a per pound basis. This record stood for at least 30 years.

W suggest that Rex appear along with other working, rescue, or northern breed dogs in a series of stamps, which should prove very popular with collectors and dog fanciers. Or, you may choose to issue Rex alone in memory of his contributions to the betterment and advancement of mankind.

Your assistance would be appreciated in helping us obtain a postage stamp for this extraordinary Samoyed, who, as a U.S. civil servant, delivered the mail faithfully on a regular route and made many other important contributions to the betterment and advancement of mankind.

Sincerely,

XXXXXX