Nashville Letter Carrier Honored For 50 Years On The Job, Keeps Rolling on Belle Meade Route

A Nashville postman was surprised Wednesday with an award for 50 years of government service — a rare milestone.

Richard McDonald has delivered along the same route in Belle Meade for most of that time.

In a ceremony in the back of the post office on Highway 100, surrounded by heaping mail bins, Tennessee District Manager David Dillman put those decades of service into perspective.

“When we started with ‘Mr. ZIP,’ starting ZIP codes, that was 1963. So Mac’s been with the Post Office only two years less than the ZIP code,” Dillman said, drawing laughs from an assembly of McDonald’s co-workers. “He’s been on the same route 27 years … That doesn’t happen very often anymore, with all of the changes in the Post Office.

“You really, truly are part of that community.”

Over those decades, the carrier known as “Mac” logged 2 million miles. He did it in a steady way — 18 miles each day along Lynnwood Boulevard in the heart of Belle Meade.

Now age 70, McDonald looks back fondly on a decision he made his first day at the Post Office: to work outdoors on a route, instead of inside. That’s allowed him to see generations of families grow up.

“Some people I see every day. Some people like to come out and just say, ‘Hi,’ and just show their concern for the letter carrier, and I really appreciate that.”

McDonald says meeting people is still the best part of the job.

“If I can give you any advice: Come to work. Do your job. Enjoy it,” he said. “And make every day a day worth having.”