Union Pacific Teams With CSX on Holiday Tree Transport Omaha, NE, Nov. 25, 2002 – Union Pacific Railroad will put a star on top of its regular holiday tree shipments from the West this year, by teaming with CSX Transportation to transport the Pentagon's 2002 Holiday Tree from Nampa, Idaho, to the nation's capital. Union Pacific Chairman Dick Davidson said, "Each year as our nation approaches the holidays, one of this railroad's most traditional services is the shipment of thousands of trees from the Pacific Northwest to the rest of the U.S. This year we are especially proud of our role in shipping the Pentagon Holiday Tree to show appreciation of our armed forces." U.S. Senator Larry Craig (R-Ida) conceived the idea to show Idaho's support and recognition of the U.S. military, especially its War on Terrorism. In a complementary effort, thousands of ornaments were created by Idaho students from schools around the state to decorate the tree. "It's a special thank you from Idaho and from our public forests to have a beautiful grand fir from North Idaho on the front steps of the Pentagon, something that Idahoans are tremendously proud of and we hope our country will be, too," said Senator Craig. "This endeavor could not have been accomplished without the wonderful contributions from corporate sponsors, and we are pleased Union Pacific could help Idaho show its appreciation toward our military." Government, railroad and other local officials and residents will give the Idaho tree a special send-off at Nampa on Tuesday, November 26, when the 35-foot-tall grand fir will be transloaded from a truck to a railcar to begin its long journey to the Pentagon. Union Pacific will transport the tree to Chicago where it will be transferred to a CSX train routed to Baltimore and then trucked to the Pentagon with a scheduled arrival of December 4. Overnite Transportation Co., Union Pacific's trucking subsidiary, will pick up the Idaho student-created decorations on Monday, November 25, in Boise for delivery to the Pentagon during the week of December 2. The official lighting ceremony for the Pentagon Holiday Tree is scheduled for December 13. In addition to this special delivery, Union Pacific will run its first of this season's regularly scheduled tree trains from Portland, Oregon, on Friday, November 29, as part of an annual delivery program that will carry holiday trees from the forests of Oregon and Washington to destinations across the country.
