Proud to Serve Proud to Serve is a semi-regular compilation of heroic stories about letter carriers in their communities. If you know about a hero in your branch, contact us as soon as possible at 202-662-2420 or at postalrecord@nalc.org. We’ll follow up with you to obtain news clippings, photos or other information.
Honoring heroic carriers
H eroism, like the mail, comes in many packages—think of police officers or firefighters. But for some citizens in need of assistance, their heroes come in the form of concerned letter carriers. Letter carriers are members of nearly every community in this nation and know when something is wrong. Spotting fires and injuries, they often are the first to respond. The following stories document their heroism. For them, delivering for America is all in a day’s work. Carrier fends off dog “I’m walking down the street and I hear some noises,” Braderick White, a nine-month carrier, recounted. “As I get closer, I see what’s going on. This Rottweiler is mauling this grown man.” The Kansas City, KS Branch 499 carrier attempted to spray the dog with pepper spray; however, due to the frig- id January temperatures, his pepper spray had frozen. He called 911 and, while on the phone, White attempted to kick the dog off the man. White said he would kick the dog and the dog would stop, then a few seconds later would attack the man again. A few minutes later, police arrived, and, seeing that the situation was under control, White returned to his route. The carrier said that dog attacks and violence are common on his route. Dogs have tried to attack him many times and “I’ve been caught between crossfire a few times because of gunshots.” Despite the dangers he faces, White said, “Man, I can tell you one thing: People are happy to see me. So, the job has its perks. I guess I like making people happy.”
Carrier spots mail cart thief
Ya Lin Yeh’s station in Yonkers, NY, had four mail carts stolen from it in late January, so “that’s why I stayed on high alert,” the New York City Branch 36 carrier said. People had been steal- ing the packages inside them and leav- ing the carts on the street. One day, the 20-year carrier was delivering her route when she saw a man she didn’t recognize, and who was not in uniform, pushing a mail cart. There was no mail in his cart, just personal items. “I slowed down and let him pass me first, and I took a picture of him,” Yeh said. She called her station supervisor, who in turn called police. Yeh contin- ued to keep watch on the man, and responding officers soon arrived and arrested the man. They determined that the cart had been taken from another station nearby. Despite receiving kudos from her post office, the carrier brushed off any accolades. “I don’t think it’s a big deal,” Yeh said of her actions. Woman’s legs saved from being crushed Skyler Wilburg, a nine-month city carrier assistant (CCA) in Albertson, NY, was finishing up a few deliveries to some local businesses one spring day when an elderly woman saw him. She was planning to go into the post office but saw the Long Island Merged Branch 6000 carrier outside, so she thought that she would instead just give him her mail to save time. The woman got out of her SUV, thinking she had put it in park, but she was mistaken. It began rolling and
Braderick White
14 The Postal Record August 2024
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