To say John Bromstead of Covina has logged a lot of miles is an understatement.
After 40 years as a letter carrier based in Glendora with the U.S. Postal Service, Bromstead finally retired on July 31st.
But not before he was honored as a member of the National Safety Council Million Mile Club, and bestowed the Million Mile Award.
“I didn’t realize I had that many miles,” said Bromstead, now 60, who began full-time at age 20.
“I started younger,” he said, working temporary shifts with the USPS. “I was doing that during high school, just during the summer and during Christmas time.”
“When I turned 20, they called me for a career position, so I interviewed in Glendora and got the job,” he said, never looking in the rearview mirror and happier than ever for many lifelong friends he made among both coworkers and customers.
After 40 years of service Glendora Letter Carrier John Bromstead retired with a remarkable achievement, driving one million accident-free miles and earning an entry into the elite National Safety Council’s Million Mile Club. (US Postal Service) After 40 years of service Glendora Letter Carrier John Bromstead retired with a remarkable achievement, driving one million accident-free miles and earning an entry into the elite National Safety Council’s Million Mile Club. (Courtesy, US Postal Service) After 40 years of service Glendora Letter Carrier John Bromstead retired with a remarkable achievement, driving one million accident-free miles and earning an entry into the elite National Safety Council’s Million Mile Club. (Courtesy, US Postal Service) After 40 years of service Glendora Letter Carrier John Bromstead, left, retired with a remarkable achievement, driving one million accident-free miles and earning an entry into the elite National Safety Council’s Million Mile Club. (Courtesy, US Postal Service) Show Caption1 of 4After 40 years of service Glendora Letter Carrier John Bromstead retired with a remarkable achievement, driving one million accident-free miles and earning an entry into the elite National Safety Council’s Million Mile Club. (US Postal Service) ExpandBromstead, who was born in Agoura and moved to Covina at age 3, followed in both his parents’ footsteps by joining the USPS.
“My mom was a clerk in L.A. and my dad, he did the maintenance at a bulk mail center,” Bromstead said, in Bell. While his father, William, had originally been a machinist by contract working with aircraft, he wanted something steadier to provide for his family.
“He just hated raising a family on their contracts, so he went to the post office and got a job, and when we were old enough, my sisters and I, my mom interviewed and she got hired,” Bromstead said, with Phyllis Bromstead going to work downtown at the Terminal Annex by Union Square.
While he was originally thinking about becoming a fireman, Bromstead, who first took the civil service exam at age 18, remembered interviewing with then-Postmaster Oscar Lopez in Glendora, who hired him on the spot.
Back when he began full-time in 1985, Bromstead said things were much different, with far less automations, which made the days long and brought him the opportunity to significant overtime pay.
“We used to start early, at like six o’clock in the morning, and I wouldn’t get home until seven o’clock at night, whenever it got dark,” he said. “That’s just the way it was, six days a week.”
“I was doing really good … It was good money back then,” he said with hours eventually seeming normal to him.
For decades, Bromstead was what is known as a T-6, which meant he would substitute for people on different routes on a rotating basis.
“I had five routes the first 28 years,” he said. “I was the T-6 for numerous routes in the office. I was never the regular carrier until I got injured.”
Bromstead struggles with plantar fasciitis led him to bid for a single full-time route that also happened to require much less time on his feet. “It was very painful to even stand and to bear weight on my heels,” he said.
“Most of the deliveries in Glendora were park and loop,” he said, with the postal worker leaving their vehicle to visit 30 doors at a time, as that’s where so many mailboxes were kept. His new route gave him much more time to work directly from his truck.
“Before, it was five or six miles of walking,” he said. “This route, I would probably say, was maybe two miles, (mostly) curbside, where you just drive up to the mailbox and stick the mail in … It was nice. It was a sweet route — to me, I think, it was the best route in the office.”
According to the USPS, more than 1.2 billion miles are logged each year by a fleet of around 250,000 vehicles. Some 341,000 letter carriers deliver to 148.6 million residences and 12.8 million businesses six days a week.
“Safety is not just a buzz word,” USPS District Manager Cipriano Corona said. “Our postal drivers take safety very seriously.”
“This truly remarkable achievement demonstrates how postal employees continue to deliver on the promise of delivering their best every day,” Corona said.
Glendora Postmaster Christopher King specifically acknowledged Bromstead’s contribution to the city.
“John was such a special carrier,” King said. “I can’t say enough about his professionalism to the community, and to the Glendora Post Office”
“John was always involved in promoting safety and uplifting his team,” he said. “He made sure every employee was recognized and appreciated, never hesitating to help anyone who was struggling.”
“We will miss him,” he said.
Bromstead’s wife, Lorraine, began dating him in 1983. The couple has three daughters — Shaina, Briana, and Mia — since marrying in 1990, and now look forward to doing some traveling together.
“It wasn’t easy,” Lorraine said, owing to his long hours, but they enjoyed excellent medical benefits and a good life.
“He loved it and he still does,” she said, with Bromstead not only loved and admired by his many customers over the years, but likewise, him holding strong affection for so many of them.
“John has treasured it,” she said.
One of his many customers over the years, Mary Gribben of Glendora, shared some thoughts about Bromstead.
“John Bromstead is the most caring and dependable mail carrier I know and he went above and beyond to help his customers,” Gribben said. “There are not many people around in this world with his kindness and generosity. He will be deeply missed.”
Bromstead reminisced about decades of seeing people day after day, watching little children grow up and go on to college and their lives, mourning those whom he knew for decades who passed away.
“I think that’s one of the best things about the job — the relationships you get with your customers,” he said.
“I carry away all these great memories,” he said. “I cherish their friendship.”
Jarret Liotta is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and photographer.
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