Retired Area Postmaster Receives National Recognition

By Gugi Degen

Reprinted & condensed by permission

A native of Minnesota, Clarence Gagner grew up in a small rural community, with 12 brothers and sisters: he attended Bemidji State University. In 1965, fresh out of college at age 21, Clarence was appointed Postmaster of Brooks, MN by President Lyndon Johnson. That same week he joined NAPUS (National Association of Postmasters of the United States).

Before his appointment as Postmaster, Clarence became a private in the Minnesota National Guard in December 1963. He enlisted with B Company of the 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry, in Thief River Falls, MN.

I met Clarence at a NAPUS Leadership Conference about 14 years ago. One of those individuals stood out because of the energy, charisma, self-confidence and exuberant passion for life that surrounded him like an aura. Clarence’s desire to make everyone feel welcome and appreciated took center stage. I knew he was a champion and a leader.

Clarence served as a senior instructor at the Winter Operations School at Camp Ripley, 1973-1991, and during the Norwegian Exchanges in Norway and Germany. At the request of Norwegian officials, he was selected to represent the Minnesota National Guard on an inspection tour of the Norwegian Home Guard. Clarence was one of the first to be involved with total quality management (TQM), which he used to help make the 136th Infantry Battalion the best in Minnesota.

On February 21, 1991, he was named Command Sergeant Major for the 900-soldier “Bradley Fighting Vehicle” battalion, headquartered at Moorhead, MN. He held this position until his retirement on May 17, 1997. While in the military, Clarence became an integral part of NAPUS.

He served at the state and national levels in many elected and appointed positions: district director and secretary-treasurer for 14 years, state committee on development, state resolutions chair, state vice president, state president, management conference instructor, National Educational & Development committee, National Credentials Committee, National Resolutions Committee co-chair, National Legislative co-chair and national vice-president.

While working as Postmaster in Oklee, MN and Red Lake Falls, MN, Clarence was assigned to a number of details, including establishing a speakers bureau for the Management Sectional Center. He did surveys for union negotiations and was assigned to help field offices in Minnesota and North Dakota through the Methods Improvement Program. He temporarily served as superintendent of Delivery and Collections for the Fargo, ND, Post Office.

Over is illustrious, 34-year military career, Command Sgt. Maj. Gagner received many awards and decorations. In 1985 Clarence was awarded the distinguished “Meritus” award from the International Society of Postmasters. He also was awarded the Air Transport Association’s “Order of the Vest” in 1997 in recognition of his exemplary service to the profession and NAPUS.

 On September 17, 2000, Clarence was inducted into Minnesota’s “Court of Honor” for the National Guard. Recently, he was the recipient of the prestigious Seven Seals award, presented by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), for meritorious leadership and initiative in support of the men and women who served in the National Guard and Reserve.

One of Clarence’s greatest challenges was the 1997 Flood Fight in the Red River Valley. The area was hit with eight major blizzards, which caused significant flooding on April 18, ultimately resulting in $2 billion in damages. Clarence was a National Guard representative at the emergency operations center and helped evacuate more than 5,600 residents in East Grand Forks, MN – where many of the 1,150 Minnesota Army National Guard soldiers worked.

His compassion for others was evident as he worked to save lives and evacuate residents with their pets to shelter. During this challenging time, he declared, “We will unite, we will rebuild and we will survive.” He said NAPUS’ motto was relevant, as well: “Let us do together what we cannot do alone.”

Clarence’s wife Dianne has been a full partner in his military and postal careers. This past year, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They raised three children: Tim, Stephanie and Dan. They have five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Without a doubt, Clarence loves his family and is very proud of their accomplishments. He was honored to serve early in his career with Dianne as regional chair for the Minnesota March of Dimes.

Clarence also has served and volunteered extensively in the community, including on Brooks’ city council and Community Federal Credit Union, the Red Lake County Fair Board, St. Joseph’s Church Finance Council, chair of the St. Joseph’s Church Cemetery Committee; he was mayor of Brooks for 12 years. His contributions to the community continue as guest speaker at annual Veteran’s Day observances.

Clarence currently serves as a chair of NAPUS’ Distinguished Guests/VIP Committee. At conventions, his duties include picking up distinguished guests from the airport and driving them to the convention hotel. He drove former Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe on a number of occasions.

At the 2014 Leadership Conference, snow fell over Washington, DC, shutting down the federal government. As a result, the U.S. All-Services Color Guard was not available for Monday morning’s opening ceremony. Clarence rose to the challenge and gathered NAPUS members to form the Honorary Postmaster Color Bearers.

Clarence continues to look for challenges. His strategies to stay productive until the age of 100 were reflected in a recent interview with actor and director Ron Howard in the AARP Bulletin. “Life experiences are beneficial,” he said, “but you must keep your youthful spark and curiosity.  Once your kids are grown, you have time for bigger projects. It’s important to always enjoy life, however long it may be. Dive into a project, then take a pause. Make the most of your creativity and longevity.”

With Clarence’s many accomplishments, one could easily believe he is self-involved. However, when talking to him, you feel good about yourself because he cares so much about everyone he meets. We salute Clarence Gagner for his outstanding military and postal careers and dedication to serving his community with passion and pride.