Commentary
Saluting UP’s 50-Year Railroaders
Written by Union Pacific, Corporate CommunicationsContinuing 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.
Join us in congratulating these honorees—watch the May 8 livestream ceremony via UP’s Facebook page.