Saluting UP’s 50-Year Railroaders

Written by Union Pacific, Corporate Communications

2024 50-year honorees, UP, top row, from left: Dana Carman Sr., locomotive engineer; Jack Dugal, locomotive engineer; Mike Freeman, locomotive engineer; Stanley Grishom, locomotive engineer; bottom row, from left: David Perez, locomotive engineer; Joseph Perry, yardperson; Mickey Richard, flagging foreperson; and Vadim Woods, conductor. (Image Courtesy of UP)

Continuing a long-standing Union Pacific (UP) tradition, employees achieving 50 years of railroading will be honored May 8, in a special ceremony with UP senior leadership at 11:15 a.m. CT.

In 1974, Bonnie Leake became UP’s first woman to train for engine service; supply shortages, including fuel, impacted the railroad and nation; and Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record. It also was around the time these dedicated employees started their careers:

Dana Carman Sr., locomotive engineer, Missouri Valley, Iowa, Great Lakes Service Unit. A fourth-generation railroader, Carman has served as a locomotive engineer for more than 30 of his 50 years.
Jack Dugal, locomotive engineer, Proviso, Ill., Chicago Service Unit. Dugal is based out of Union Pacific’s Proviso Yard, transporting freight to local customers and interchanging with other railroads.
Mike Freeman, locomotive engineer, Cheyenne, Wyo., Great Plains Service Unit. Freeman frequently makes runs between Cheyenne, Wyo., and North Platte, Nebraska.
Stanley Grishom, locomotive engineer, Paducah, Ky., Mid-America Service Unit. In his Union Pacific career, Grishom has worked in Illinois, Kansas and Missouri.
David Perez, locomotive engineer, Laredo, Tex., South Texas Service Unit. Perez, a third-generation railroader, started his career in a San Antonio, Tex., locomotive diesel shop.
Joseph Perry, yardperson, Lake Charles, La., Gulf Coast Service Unit. Perry is a third-generation railroader, working various road jobs in Louisiana and Texas.
Mickey Richard, flagging foreperson, Whitesboro, Tex., Engineering. Richard often serves as Employee in Charge (EIC), protecting track gangs.
Vadim Woods, conductor, Albina, Ore., Pacific Northwest Service Unit. Woods, a second-generation railroader, works on the Seattle-to-Portland, Ore., pool.