Stamp pays tribute to Sept. 11 heroes

They were all heroes on that fateful day of Sept. 11 the rescuers and the fallen, the firefighters and the police, the volunteers and the valiant leaders, the media and the medics.

In tribute to those courageous individuals, and to help raise funds for assistance to the families of those killed or disabled, the U.S. Postal Service will issue a 45-cent semi-postal stamp called “Heroes of 2001.”

The stamp features the now-famous photo of three firefighters as they raised the U.S. flag at “Ground Zero.” The word “heroes, and “USA” in capital letters appear in the upper-right corner of the stamp. The year “2001” is seen in the lower-right corner.

This is a semi-postal stamp, meaning that there is an 11-cent addition to the 34-cent first-class rate with the addition being the fund-raiser. The “Heroes of 2001” is the second semi-postal in U.S. history. The first was the Breast Cancer Research stamp released earlier this year.

The photo of the firefighters raising the flag was taken by Thomas E. Franklin of The Record of Bergen County, N.J.

The “Heroes of 2001,” is expected to be issued in late spring of next year with 205 million stamps being printed.

Postmaster General John E. Potter said, “The Postal Service is proud to honor the men and women who gave their all in the rescue efforts following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.”