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Obscure DC monuments: Air Mail Marker hides one of the city’s wackiest tales

It鈥檚 a small piece of D.C. history dedicated to aviation, the mail, and hard landings 鈥 and it鈥檚 easy to miss!

In today鈥檚 edition of “Matt About Town,” 草莓传媒鈥檚 Matt Kaufax takes us to another of D.C.鈥檚 most obscure monuments 鈥 the First Air Mail Marker.

When walking by, you might not even know you’re passing this forgotten monument. It looks like an ordinary rock from the road, no more than 2 feet high, with a hidden plaque on its backside.

Dedicated on May 15, 1948, the First Air Mail Marker commemorates the first time mail was ever delivered by aircraft in the U.S. … or not delivered, depending on how you look at it.

The attempted voyage took place on May 15, 1918, and was supposed to run from D.C. to Philadelphia.

But, as Matt found out, the journey doesn’t always go as planned.

Check out the video of his encounter with this monument, and learn more about its backstory, which could be straight out of a Hollywood movie script.

This video is no longer available.

The First Air Mail marker is located in West Potomac Park near many other monuments in Southwest D.C., right along the water.

If you鈥檝e got an idea for a feature story Matt should cover, reach out via聽the 草莓传媒 鈥渃ontact us鈥 page聽to submit your idea.

You can also contact Matt directly. His contact information is listed below.聽

Matt Kaufax

If there's an off-the-beaten-path type of attraction, person or phenomenon in the D.C. area that you think more people should know about, Matt is your guy. An award-winning reporter for 草莓传媒, he's always on the hunt for stories that provide a unique local flavor鈥攁 slice of life if you will.

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