A South Carolina employee who recently concluded a Postal Service career that spanned a half-century received a sendoff from top leaders in his community.
Howard Rogers retired from the Cheraw Post Office, where the retail associate spent his entire 50-year tenure with USPS.
“The Cheraw Post Office was a great place to work, and I truly enjoyed what I did,” Rogers said.
His retirement party was attended by leaders throughout the community, including the mayor and police chief, as well as state Rep. Richard Yow, who has known Rogers most of his life.
“I can remember as a little boy sweeping the floor of my family’s store. Mr. Rogers always came in with a genuine smile,” Yow said.
Rogers credits a high school teacher for inspiring him when she encouraged promising African-American students to pursue postal jobs.
Since many postal employees at the time were military veterans, Rogers enlisted in the Army after graduation and did a tour in Vietnam.
While fighting the Viet Cong, Rogers was shot and paralyzed from the waist down when his platoon was ambushed.
“To my knowledge, I’m the only survivor from my platoon. It’s by the grace of God that I’m here today,” Rogers said.
After one month of rehabilitation, the Purple Heart recipient defied his doctors’ expectations when he walked out of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, DC.
Six months later, he became the Cheraw Post Office’s first African-American letter carrier. Around 1996, he transitioned to a retail associate position.
“My wife and I raised a daughter who’s a Department of Justice trial attorney, a younger daughter who’s a registered nurse and six grandchildren,” Rogers said. “So the Post Office has been very good to us.”