Fort Belvoir, Va. (Oct. 9, 2014) - Ron Pedersen works for the United States Postal Service at Fort Belvoir as a clerk. He wakes up every morning at 6 a.m. He walks his dog before taking a shower.
By 8 a.m. he is at Starbucks on post having a cup of coffee while reading the Washington Post before reporting to the Post Office for the start of his 9 a.m. shift.
"That's my morning routine," said Pedersen. "I've been doing it the last 17 years."
Pedersen was born on Aug. 23, 1947. His family originally moved to Brooklyn, New York when he was 6-months old, though they lived in Queens the majority of his childhood.
How Pedersen and his Family ended up in Queens is another story.
Pedersen's father, Eivind Pedersen, was born in Denmark in 1906. Eivind's father was a merchant seaman for the Danish government and would spend years at sea at a time. When Eivind was 5 or 6 years old, his father was at sea. He had not left enough money for his wife to take care of Eivind and his sister, said Ron.
"My grandmother ended up selling my father to the gypsies that were coming through," said Ron. "That way she could support herself and my aunt."
Eivind Pedersen was with the gypsies until he was 13. He hopped on a Danish ship whose port-of-call was Ellis Island, New York. That's how the Pedersen's ended up in New York.
At the time Ron's father, Eivind, did not know who his father was.
But, in 1937 Ron's grandfather wrote his son, Eivind, a note on the back of a post card and attempted to mail it to him. Eivind's sister, who by then had moved to New Jersey, got the letter.
"What was written on the back says 'Dear Eivind, happy 31st birthday,'" said Ron. "You are still a young man; the best time is still ahead of you. You have not had much enjoyment of your father.
But, I'll be waiting for you on the ship. We all do will meet. Greetings from your father."
However, Eivind did not read the letter for 38 years, until 1975 when he finally got in touch with his sister.
Ron's father worked for the Keystone Shipping Company in Corpus Christi, Texas for the remainder of his working life.
Like his father before him, Ron didn't see much of his dad as he grew up, either. Eivind traveled between Corpus Christi and the Persian Gulf working on tankers. He would come home during the summer to spend time with Ron and his mother.
"Every activity we did was water related," said Ron. "We would fish and swim. We went to the St. George Hotel pool in Brooklyn when he was home. One summer when I was 16, we went from New York to California and back by car-camping. That was the longest period of time I spent with him."
Though he spent long periods of time away from his father, Ron said he still tried to learn what he could from him when they were together.
"I tried to learn cooking from my father," Ron said. "He made the best Danish pastry you ever tasted."
Ron was accepted as a student into New York University after graduating high school. He planned to take a year off of school before starting college, but he received a letter in 1966 that changed the course of his life.
"I took a year off so I could hang out," said Ron Pedersen. "Then, I got drafted and decided to join the Navy instead. So, I never made it to college."
Ron was in the Navy until 1971, when he decided not to re-enlist due to the severe racial tensions prevalent at that time.
"I got jumped coming off the beach one night and decided 'I'm not putting up with this,'" said Pedersen.
However, by 1975 he decided to re-enlist because he did not enjoy his job, he said.
"I bought children's clothes for seven department stores in New York," said Pedersen. "I woke up every morning and thought about how much I didn't want to go to work. I didn't enjoy life at all. So, I thought I already have five years in the Navy. Another 15, I can retire. So, I went back in the Navy in 1975."
After retiring as a Senior Chief Petty Officer in 1996, Ron started working as a culinary manager for Darden restaurants. His time with Darden was short.
"After working 70 hour weeks for six-months I thought, 'Forget it, I didn't retire to work myself to death,'" said Pedersen.
Ron decided a career with the U.S. Postal Service was a good decision because he could work toward another retirement and the Post Office has the same ideals as the military.
He began working at a location in Ashburn, Virginia until a conversation with his supervisor brought him to Fort Belvoir.
"He asked me where I lived and I told him Woodbridge, Virginia," said Ron. "He told me there was an opening at Fort Belvoir. I decided to take it because I would be around military personnel who think like me. It's more of a Family atmosphere and much easier going."
He greatly enjoys making customers feel welcome, Ron said.
"I like to treat the people like this is a hometown post office," said Pedersen. "So, I give them an extra smile or a friendly greeting."
One person who notices Ron Pedersen's positive attitude is Rickey Morris, Directorate of Logistics, shipping and receiving clerk. Morris has been coming to the post office for six years, and enjoys Pedersen's friendly demeanor.
"He is strictly professional, but he's good to customers," said Morris. "Once he knows what you are about, you can't ask for anyone any better from a customer service standpoint."
After nearly two decades, Ron Pedersen still enjoys getting up, walking his dog and having coffee at Starbucks while reading the Washington Post. He also still enjoys serving the customers who come into the Post Office.
"I'm a people person," said Ron. "I wouldn't be in the job if I didn't like people."
Social Sharing