Peoria Standard

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Peoria) is sponsoring legislation to have the Elmwood Post Office renamed after fallen U.S. Marine Corporal Benjamin Desilets.

If the measure passes, the 114 North Magnolia St. branch would be renamed after the Elmwood High grad, who would have celebrated his 36th birthday earlier this month.   

House Resolution 6404 would pave the way for the facility to become known as “Corporal Benjamin Desilets Post Office” as a tribute to Desilets, who is survived by his young daughter.

“I introduced legislation to honor Marine Corporal Benjamin Desilets, who was killed serving our country in 2007,” LaHood recently posted on Twitter. “Our country will forever be indebted to Corporal Desilets and we can never fully repay him or his family for his dedication to America.”

Desilets was killed on the night of May 22, 2007, when the lead vehicle he was driving while on a mission in Iraq came in contact with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the Al Anbar province.

Cpl. Julian Woodall, 21, of Tallahassee, Fla., was also killed in the ambush, with both victims being members of the 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 11 Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

During his time in the service, Desilets often distinguished himself, including being awarded a Purple Heart, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.

“He was just a dynamic kid,” Elmwood High English teacher Cathy Meyers told TheFallen.MilitaryTimes.com. “Kids come and go, but this is one you don’t forget.”

Desilets was posthumously promoted to his rank of corporal.