"He's friendly," says customer Robyn Milne. "He always says hello and we know him on a first-name basis. He's such a good man."

"I get along with all my customers," says Herrera. "My favorite part is when the little kids know my name and run up to say 'Hello Ralph.' "

Customers are important to Herrera. "Sometimes I'm the only person my senior customers see each day. I enjoy giving my retired customers that extra smile and wave."

Herrera's route covers business and residential areas from 1300 East to 1100 East between 3300 South to 3900 South. "I deliver to the mission headquarters," he says. "Every day 180 missionaries get their mail delivered by me. It gets heavy on the holidays."

After graduating from East Carbon High School in 1969, Herrera joined the military and was sent to Vietnam. He was severely wounded and spent nearly six months recovering at Simmons Army hospital. While on leave, his brother was killed in the Kaiser mines.

"It changed my life," says Herrera of his brother's death. "I could have worked in the coal mines but decided I wanted security for my family."

Herrera began a four-year apprenticeship in carpentry at Utah Technical College. When Utah became a 'right-to-work' state, Herrera decided to switch careers.

Attracted by the benefits, Herrera was persuaded by friends to take the postal test. "I was a 10-point vet - a Purple Heart vet - and got 10 points added to my postal test. I was hired right away," he says.

"I like my job," says Herrera. "I've only had one dog come after me and that was on another route. It didn't even bite me - it was a big German shepherd that had broken it's chain. It growled and knocked me off the porch. I blew out my knee and was out of commission for about eight weeks."

When Herrera isn't delivering mail he likes to hunt ducks in Carbon County, camp and take an occasional trip to Wendover. He and his family are active in the Catholic church and their community.

Herrera is married with two daughters and one grandson. "I hope to retire in five years and I look forward to spending more time with him. We love to keep him with us."

Once a year, Herrera's family joins him on his route for the U.S. Postal Service's annual food drive. "They've done it every year since they were little girls," he says.