Columbia, SC -(WLTX) Nowadays, it's hard to think of doing any one thing for an extended amount of time, including working at the same place for more than a couple of years, but at the Columbia UPS location, Roosevelt Green has been doing the same routine every morning for more than 40 years.
Roosevelt says, "I started up in 1971. April 12th 1971."
If you do the math, that's actually over 47 years now, however the first few years he delivered packages before switching over to the big rigs, which they call "feeder trucks." Roosevelt says he came to work for UPS because, after six years of active-duty Army infantry, and a tour in Vietnam, he liked the structure of it.
"Six months after leaving the active duty, I was hired at UPS. It was an easy transition for me because I was used to following regulation. At that time UPS was uniformed, timely, and I enjoy things like that. I like being disciplined," he says. "I just changed from green(Army uniform color) to brown(UPS uniform color)."
He didn't end up leaving the military altogether though.
"I joined the National Guard about three or four years after I started working at ups. I stayed in the guard an additional 25 1/2 years for a total military time of over 30 years," Roosevelt explains.
He also joined UPS because it allowed him to be the husband and father he wanted to be. And after each day spent on the road, the nights were family time.
"I was always back home in the evening. After so many hours I was always back home," he says.
Now, whatever that routine was for Roosevelt Green, something seems to have gone exceedingly right. The main reason you might consider this is because every one of his seven children are college graduates.
Roosevelt says beaming, "Six of them graduated from the University of South Carolina, and one graduated from Georgia. One of my sons decided to go to Georgia to go to school. So all my children are college graduates. Some of them have the highest degrees and I'm just proud of them."
If you want some life advice, parenting or otherwise, Roosevelt is sure to have it. But he came off as a very humble man, and wouldn't presume to tell you how to live your life, but he did offer one thing.
"My wife will tell you, I've never said a negative word in the process. We were very religious, and we were brought up that way. Church on Sundays, discipline your children, and do what you can to help them.
Roosevelt Green is the epitome of what commitment looks like. A lifetime of duty to our country, a strong dedication to family, and loyal service to an employer. Roosevelt Green is in the UPS circle of honor also. The patch on his left shoulder signifies 40-plus years of diving without a single incident. He's logged over four-million miles, raised seven college graduates, and seems to have done it all with a smile on his face, and one impressively positive attitude.
"I just wanted to do the right thing. It's in my soul and my heart. I don't want to be proud. I just want to do a good job with my soul and my heart. And I've been able to put my heart into the military and with UPS. I wanted to be a part of the team, and a successful part. And I gave it all I had.
For his years of service, Roosevelt has racked up eight weeks of paid time off, which lets him work four-day-weeks now. He says he still enjoys coming to work every day. He also like spending time gardening, and watching his grandchildren grow.
He says, after traveling extensively for the military and in his personal life, one place he'd like to visit is New York City. The four million(plus) miles he's driven is the distance of eight trips to the moon and back, yet he has never seen New York. Maybe UPS can give that gift when he reaches 50 years of service.