Denise Jensen never had a personal connection to the stamps she sold, but a recent encounter with a customer changed that.
Jensen, a retail associate in Iron, MN, was helping the customer when she noticed him staring at the Medal of Honor: Vietnam stamp sheet displayed at the counter.
“Oh my goodness, that’s my uncle!” Jensen recalled the customer saying.
He was referring to Gordon Roberts, who is one of 48 Medal of Honor recipients from the Vietnam War era shown on the sheet.
The customer told Jensen how his uncle joined the armed forces at a young age and served in the war.
“By the time he had finished, we were both wiping tears away,” said Jensen. “It was very rewarding to hear the customer’s story and to feel his pride in sharing it.”
Jensen is not likely to forget the man’s reaction at seeing his uncle’s heroism honored by the Postal Service.
“Iron is this itty, bitty rural town — population 86. What are the chances I would meet the family of an American hero?” she said.