Be careful when you open your voice mail. Old soldiers still know how to shoot straight.

        Like waves of troops storming a beach, readers keep leaving messages about my column on how the contributions of my generation, the Baby Boomers, pale next to those of the generation that won World War II.

        The column was triggered by the hoopla-ed movie, Pearl Harbor.

        “All my friends went off to fight in World War II. I lived through it. I'm 81 and I would no more go to see Pearl Harbor than sunbathe nude in my backyard.” — Mary Wuest, Covedale.

        “Many veterans come through the VA's long-term care unit where I'm a nurse. As a Baby Boomer whose father and husband served in World War II, I can say the Boomers' contributions cannot compare to what the World War II generation did for our country.” — Patricia Thompson, Fort Thomas.

        “Whether it's World War II or Korea, those soldiers went to war so we could go to work, come home to eat supper with our families and be free.” — Ken Pfetsch, West Chester.

        “As a whole our generation, the Boomers, is hopeless,” said Craig Hartje of Anderson Township. “It's up to individuals to make things right.”

Crosley Field stamp

        The Reds only wish they had a pinch hitter as determined as Bonni Manies. Undaunted by brush-back pitches, she went to bat for Cincinnati baseball fans and the Crosley Field stamp.

Crosley Field stamp | ZOOM |

        The stamp, honoring the Reds' former home, is in the Postal Service's “Baseball's Legendary Playing Fields” series — 34-cent portraits of 10 famous ballparks. The stamps go on sale June 27.

        Bonni is the Postal Service's Cincinnati spokeswoman. She read my January column suggesting that the post office let Cincinnati have a first day of issue ceremony for the stamp.

        She tried phoning stamp headquarters, but the Washington, D.C., number printed in my column was busy for two days with callers seconding my suggestion.

        The calls didn't result in a first-day ceremony. That's for cities whose ballparks in the series still stand: Boston's Fenway Park, Chicago's Wrigley Field, Detroit's Tigers Stadium and New York's Yankee Stadium.

        Bonni went to her fall-back plan, a second day of issue ceremony before the Reds-Cubs June 28 game at Cinergy Field.

        Commemorative envelopes with the stamp and a special cancellation from the “Crosley Field Station” go on sale at 5:30 p.m. Price: $8 apiece. Location: Cinergy's plaza level outside gates 1 and 2.

        Limited to an edition of 4,500, the envelopes, called cachets by stamp collectors, will be sold until the first pitch at 7:05 p.m.

        Before game time, the post office will give the team a giant replica of the stamp. It's suitable for hanging in that museum the Reds keep promising to build.

        The stamp shows Crosley Field lit at night. That's appropriate. The ballpark hosted the big leagues' first night game in 1935.

        The cachets are also available by mail. Make out checks or money orders to: Postmaster of Cincinnati. Mail to: Crosley Field Cachet, Marketing, 1591 Dalton Ave., Cincinnati 45234-9996.

        Bonni will be on hand at the ceremony. If you see her, say thanks. She helped keep the lights lit on the memory of a Cincinnati landmark.

        Past columns at Enquirer.com/columns/radel

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