For the second year in a row, a South Carolina Rural Carrier has been nominated for the honor of national “Hero of the Year” by the National Rural Letter Carriers Association (NRLCA).  Rural Carrier Chrystal Gillespie, of Latta, will travel to St. Louis for the National Rural Letter Carriers Convention,  August 12-15 as one of five nominees from across the country. 

Gillespie was recognized by Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe for her actions in March, 2012 for rescuing a woman trapped in a smoking wrecked car.  The car had flipped, and the doors were blocked by terrain.  Working quickly, she pulled the dazed woman to safety through the trunk, which was ajar, then called 911 for assistance.

In 2012, 313 Postal employees were recognized for actions above and beyond the call of duty by the Postmaster General.   

The national NRLCA winner of the honor in 2012 was Ronald Floyd, of Loris, SC, who, twice in one day, extinguished a fire in the yard of a resident on his route.

“I came along just in time to help, and I was glad I could do it,” said Gillespie.  “Being in a position to successfully help someone in real danger was a humbling experience, and being recognized for it by my fellow Rural Carriers is an outstanding honor.”

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no direct support from taxpayers. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses.