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 202-662-2489 or at [email protected]. We’ll follow up with you to obtain news clippings, photos or other information. Honoring heroic carriers eroism, like the mail, comes in any more updates. many packages—think of police Linscott said that the term “hero” was Hofficers or firefighters. But for hard to grasp. “It was quite the experi- some citizens in need of assistance, their ence, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” heroes come in the form of concerned the third-year letter carrier said. “It’s letter carriers. the human thing to do. If someone’s in Letter carriers are members of nearly need, you help them out.” every community in this nation and know when something is wrong. Spot- ting fires and injuries, they often are the first to respond. The following stories document their heroism. For them, deliv- ering for America is all in a day’s work. ‘The human thing to do’ During a St. Patrick’s Day parade on Saturday, March 17, Denver Branch 47 member David Linscott was navigating his way along the onlookers, roadblocks and traffic to deliver a mail route. Tony Robertson “I initially dropped off the mail at an apartment complex and then crossed the street,” he said. The carrier then noticed Jumping into action a man lying on the ground. On May 9, Green Bay, WI Branch Upon closer inspection, the carrier 619 member Tony Robertson was recognized the man as a security guard going about his workday when he saw with whom he had recently spoken. The a vehicle speed through a four-way guard’s jaw was clenched, his eyes were intersection, jerk wildly to miss a car open and his mouth was foaming. coming past, then hit a pole and roll Linscott, a former social worker who over. “It was shocking to see right in had some medical training, believed the front of me,” the city carrier assistant man was having a seizure. He jumped said, adding that had the car not hit into action. “I took my satchel and put the pole, it would have been on a tra- it under his head,” he said, to protect jectory to go into a nearby bay. the man’s head from the concrete, and Robertson said he thought to himself, called 911. “That’s a bad accident for whoever’s All the while, parade-goers were inside.” passing by and commenting—but no one He quickly parked his mail vehicle stopped to help. and ran over to the car. “The vehicle had While Linscott was speaking to the flipped over on its side and it was still emergency operator, the man regained running—it was revving,” he said. Rob- consciousness. Linscott said the opera- ertson climbed on the side of the vehicle tor told him, “Whatever you do, don’t and was able to get the door open. give him fluids.” A passerby came up and told the car- The carriers spoke with the man about rier she had called 911. his medical history until medical profes- Smoke was swirling around inside, sionals arrived. He later found out that the man had but once it cleared, Robertson could tell David Linscott survived, but he could not track down that a man was sitting in the front seat. 38 The Postal Record August/September 2018 “The person was awake and conscious,” Watching out for is going.” She the carrier said, and he passed that in- called 911 formation onto the passerby who was on the neighborhood again to make the line with the emergency operator. “There were these guys walking up to sure they were Susan Dragicevich Robertson was able to reach inside this house,” Van Nuys, CA Branch 2462 aware. and turn the ignition off. member Susan Dragicevich recalled of When the suspects heard a helicopter “He never said a word to me,” delivering mail on her route on Jan. 25. hovering above, they ran toward a get- Robertson said of the driver. “He was The men looked suspicious as they loi- away vehicle. One suspect jumped in the maybe dazed a little bit.” After making tered around the side of a house whose car with a driver waiting and they took sure the occupant was all right, Rob- owners were on vacation. off, leaving the other man behind. ertson waited for the police and fire There had been a string of burglaries Dragicevich helped police by point- departments to arrive. in the neighborhood so the carrier had ing out where the suspects had thrown After giving a statement to police, the been on high alert. “This is not right,” a filled backpack and a hat. The carrier carrier finished his route. He later heard Dragicevich said she thought. gave a statement to police, including a that the driver had been found to have She continued on her route to not description of the man and the vehicle. minimal injuries. raise alarm but kept her eye on the men The second suspect, hiding nearby on Robertson, an Army veteran, said he by pretending to sort the mail behind her foot, was soon caught by police thanks had medical training and wanted to truck, keeping out of sight and calling to the carrier’s help. take action. “I could do something, for 911. Two men came out from behind the The neighborhood made Dragicevich sure, to help.” house, where an alarm was now blaring an honorary Neighborhood Watch But the second-year letter carrier and where a sliding glass door had been member, but the 25-year postal veteran doesn’t think he was a hero in this situa- broken. doesn’t think she’s a hero. “We’re out tion. “I think everybody, seeing that and They began to walk down the street, here every day,” she said. “You’ve just being there, would have done the same so Dragicevich followed them. “You got to keep your eyes out when things thing if they were able,” Robertson said. don’t think,” she said. “The adrenaline don’t look right.” Fire and rescue hile on his route on carrier rushed inside and got garage,” Gary, IN Branch called 911. Once firefighters WMarch 13, Waterloo, IA the patron out safely. Rentz 1326 member Connie Allen arrived to fight the blaze, Branch 512 member Austin then went back inside the recalled to the local CBS-TV Allen left to finish her route. “I Rentz heard an unusual home and opened all the affiliate of a house fire she think she saved the house,” sound at the home of an kitchen windows to let the encountered while deliver- Komenda told the television elderly patron. There was a smoke vent. “I think she was ing her route on April 17. The station. “She saved me, pos- beeping noise through the cooking and forgot all about carrier noticed the customer’s sibly saved my dog. She made walls, and he thought it might it,” he said. “The smoke car and pickup truck in the a big difference.” The local be a house alarm. Knowing was so thick, I had to cover driveway and thought some- fire chief told CBS that the car- that it was the house of the my mouth going in.” The one might be inside. “I went rier’s quick thinking had saved postmaster’s mother, the postmaster told Rentz how up and knocked on the door firefighters from spending carrier called Branch 512 grateful he was and how he and heard a dog barking,” President Thomas Kinn to ask now has an even better idea precious minutes searching him to alert the postmaster. of what it is that carriers do she said. Allen kept knock- the home for residents so they “As I was coming back on every day. “It’s something ing and soon the patron, Dan were able to focus on fighting my swing, [the noise] got any person would do,” Rentz, Komenda Jr., answered. He the fire. The 18-year postal louder,” Rentz said. Looking a five-year letter carrier, said had been inside taking a nap veteran denied any major he- closer, he saw smoke pouring of his actions. before work. Allen told the roics. “I was glad I got there in from the door of the woman’s man to get his dog outside time,” Allen said. “God put me house and realized that the pulled up and saw and to grab his keys to move in the right place at the right beeping sound had been “Iflames shooting out the his cars, which were in the time. I just did what anybody from a smoke detector. The window and the side of the direct line of the fire. She then else would do.” PR August/September 2018 The Postal Record 39 Proud to Serve Carrier reacts during really lucky.” He immediately grabbed Ramirez, Michael Musick harrowing accident who was closest to him, and attempted On Feb. 14, Garden Grove CA Branch to pull her away. Musick almost got sending it into a light pole, which finally 1100 member Michael Musick was her out of the path of the car, but she brought both vehicles to a halt. Three having lunch with fellow Branch sustained a crushed ankle. children were in the back seat of the out- 1100 carriers Areli Ramirez and Martinez, who was out of reach, was of-control car, but none was hurt.