Who was Hiram Bingham and why did he get a US stamp?

This is an interesting story I recently came across. These words are not my own but that of Jack Siegel from his original post ...

Just an interesting piece of evidence of the 

curious behavior of the Roosevelt administration toward the Jews during WWII. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell gave a posthumous award for "constructive dissent" to Hiram (or Harry) Bingham, IV. For over fifty years, the State Department resisted any attempt to honor Bingham. For them he was an insubordinate member of the US diplomatic service, a dangerous maverick who was eventually demoted. Now, after his death, he has been officially recognized as a hero.

Bingham came from an illustrious family. His father (whom the fictional character Indiana Jones was based) was the archeologist who unearthed the Inca City of Machu Picchu, Peru, in 1911. Harry entered the US diplomatic service and, in 1939, was posted to Marseilles , France , as American Vice-Consul.The USA was then neutral and, not wishing to annoy Marshal Petain's puppet Vichy regime and because of rampant anti-semitism of certain State Department officials, including Assistant Secretary of State Breckenridge Long, illegally (and without the knowledge of President Roosevelt) ordered its representatives and consuls in Europe, including Marseilles, Lisbon, Zurich et al, not to grant visas to any Jews. Bingham found this policy immoral and, risking his career, did all in his power to undermine it.

In defiance of his bosses in Washington , he granted over 2,500 USA visas to Jewish and other refugees, including the artists Marc Chagall and Max Ernst and the family of the writer Thomas Mann. He also sheltered Jews in his Marseilles home, and obtained forged identity papers to help Jews in their dangerous journeys across Europe . He worked with the French underground to smuggle Jews out of France into Franco's Spain or across the Mediterranean and even contributed to their expenses out of his own pocket. In 1941, Washingt2on lost patience with him. He was sent to Argentina , where later he continued to annoy his superiors by reporting on the movements of Nazi war criminals.Eventually, he was forced out of the American diplomatic service completely.Bingham died almost penniless in 1988. Little was known of his extraordinary activities until his son found some letters in his belongings after his death. He has now been honored by many groups and organizations including the United Nations and the State of Israel.

For photos and additional reading on his rise and controversial career, check out this piece in the Smithsonian Mag: Saving the Jews of Nazi France