Vance Blanchard, a Rural Letter Carrier from Saint Anthony, ID, was hailed as a hero due to his daring rescue of a 6-year-old girl who fell through ice after walking onto a frozen river.
After finishing his route one wintry day — the wind chill factor at minus 6 degrees — Blanchard noticed several people gathered at the river’s edge. And, while several people were involved in the action, one person acted — Vance Blanchard. He learned of the girl’s predicament and quickly sprang into action. First, he grabbed a tow rope from his car, using it to rescue a man who had tried to walk out toward the girl and had fallen through ice near the bank. Blanchard gave the man his coat and threw the tow rope to the girl, who placed the rope about her neck. Blanchard then instructed her, in a calm and reassuring manner, to relocate the rope around her arms.
Firefighters arrived and pushed a ladder onto the fragile ice. The firefighters and Blanchard pulled the rope and ladder, with the girl tightly grasping onto her lifeline, toward shore and safety. It was a happy ending to a harrowing day.
Blanchard’s story is one of many brave acts of heroism for which the USPS® Heroes Program was implemented. Since 2003, the Heroes Program has recognized employees who go above and beyond to serve communities. All heroes receive a personal “thank you” letter from Postmaster General, Pat Donahoe, and are featured in USPS’s internal publication, Link.
Employees are eligible to receive a Hero Award. PS Form 400, PMG Hero Nomination, is reviewed by Corporate Communications for accuracy and sent, for approval, to the Postal Inspection Service and Office of the Inspector General. Following approval, the Postmaster General reviews and signs the “thank you” letter, which is then mailed to the hero. To nominate a hero you know, email PS Form 400, PMG Hero Nomination, to PMG_HeroNominations@usps.gov.
The National Association of Letter Carriers also pays tribute to a select number of its members each year, through its Heroes of the Year Awards, which have been presented annually since 1974.
To read more heroic stories featuring Postal Service™ employees, click on the Heroes tab of the Link archives at http://liteblue.usps.gov/news/link/archive.htm.
— Public Affairs,
Corporate Communications, 6-26-14
