Following high school, Harold spent six years in the Army Reserve at Hutchinson, Kansas. His specialty training was military police. Also during that time, he graduated from Kansas State University and carried on a farm operation.
In 1964 he begin his twelve-year substitute rural carrier years. He was finally able to work full time when Hutchinson created a new route in 1976. When the chance arose, he moved to Route 2, a Amish/Mennonite route. The people on his route were special to him and one does not talk to Harold long to know he took good care of his patrons.
In 1988, he was elected to the junior board member position. From there, he moved directly to the vice president position and then president of the Kansas Rural Letter Carrier Association.
One day he was serving his route as usual, when he observed a pickup backed up to a house on his route. He immediately suspected fowl play since he knew the residents were gone. When he stopped at the box and looked their direction, they ducked down.
Harold did not want to confront the group so continued on to a house down the street and called the sheriff. He then decided to go back to check for a tag number. Just as he pulled up to the house, they sped down the road. He chased them at speeds reaching 85-90 mph. The crooks ran another car off the road in the process.
At some point, one of the men reached into the back seat. Harold suspected a gun and he was right. They shot at him with a shotgun. The blast knocked out the back window of his mail car. At the first opportunity, he stopped at a house and called authorities again relaying the chase and gun shot.
The authorities did apprehend the suspect, but he was able to escape in the sheriff’s car. Television cameras had arrived by that time and they caught the suspect on tape speeding off in the patrol car.
After all of this, Harold continued to deliver his mail that day. When he stopped at the small café at Yoder, there was a message that he was to call the sheriff. It seems they were able to apprehend the criminals and they wanted Harold to pick them out of a lineup.
The man who shot at Harold was convicted and sent to prison. Harold received a commendation. We laughed and said today rural carriers would probably get a letter of warning.
In 1964 he begin his twelve-year substitute rural carrier years. He was finally able to work full time when Hutchinson created a new route in 1976. When the chance arose, he moved to Route 2, a Amish/Mennonite route. The people on his route were special to him and one does not talk to Harold long to know he took good care of his patrons.
In 1988, he was elected to the junior board member position. From there, he moved directly to the vice president position and then president of the Kansas Rural Letter Carrier Association.
One day he was serving his route as usual, when he observed a pickup backed up to a house on his route. He immediately suspected fowl play since he knew the residents were gone. When he stopped at the box and looked their direction, they ducked down.
Harold did not want to confront the group so continued on to a house down the street and called the sheriff. He then decided to go back to check for a tag number. Just as he pulled up to the house, they sped down the road. He chased them at speeds reaching 85-90 mph. The crooks ran another car off the road in the process.
At some point, one of the men reached into the back seat. Harold suspected a gun and he was right. They shot at him with a shotgun. The blast knocked out the back window of his mail car. At the first opportunity, he stopped at a house and called authorities again relaying the chase and gun shot.
The authorities did apprehend the suspect, but he was able to escape in the sheriff’s car. Television cameras had arrived by that time and they caught the suspect on tape speeding off in the patrol car.
After all of this, Harold continued to deliver his mail that day. When he stopped at the small café at Yoder, there was a message that he was to call the sheriff. It seems they were able to apprehend the criminals and they wanted Harold to pick them out of a lineup.
The man who shot at Harold was convicted and sent to prison. Harold received a commendation. We laughed and said today rural carriers would probably get a letter of warning.
No comments:
Post a Comment