At 91 years old, Decherd Tennessee’s Mancel Prince is the nation’s oldest mail carrier.

On July 30, 2010, the Rural Carrier will make one final lap of his nearly 100-mile route before ending more than 72 years of service to his country.

The only thing more extraordinary than the retirement of a 91 year-old letter carrier might be his life. Prince was born just a few miles from Decherd as World War I was nearing its end. He began his government service as an enlisted man in the U.S. Army where he fought in World War II and served under the command of legendary General George S. Patton. He also fought in the Korean War and the Vietnam War, eventually retiring as a Command Sergeant Major after 34 years in the military.

Prince came home to Decherd, TN, after his military career and began working as a Rural Carrier with the U.S. Postal Service. Respected and loved by customers and co-workers alike, Prince earned a Million-Mile Safe Driving award in recognition of his 35 years of accident-free driving. Prince has driven more than 1.1 million miles during his postal career.

Co-workers and friends will congratulate the 91-year old carrier on his last day at work during a morning reception in his honor.

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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. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 28th in the 2009 Fortune 500.