St. Charles post office renamed in honor of Vietnam veterans

The former East Side Station Post Office in St. Charles was renamed the Veterans of the Vietnam War Memorial Post Office in May and a ceremony to make the change official and recognize the veterans it was named for was held July 17.

Local veterans, public officials and officials from the United States Postal Service spoke at the ceremony before unveiling the new plaque that will hang on the wall in the lobby of the post office at 616 E. Main St.

The new name was made official when the bill for the change was signed into law by President Joe Biden on May 7. The bill was championed by U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Schaumburg, who introduced the bill in March 2023. The bill passed the House of Representatives in October 2023 and the U.S. Senate in April.

The event began with a color guard made up of veterans from local posts, the Pledge of Allegiance led by U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Wheaton Postmaster Nyerera Cross and “The Star-Spangled Banner” sung by Chicago letter carrier Kalind Haynes.

Marine Corps veteran and St. Charles resident Dennis Larson gave the invocation prayer and recognized several St. Charles veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting overseas.

“Now, every person who walks through these doors will be reminded of those who courageously served in the Vietnam War and the sacrifices they had to make.”

—  Lora Vitek, St. Charles mayor

St. Charles Postmaster Elizabeth Rudsinski made welcoming remarks and invited three veterans employed by the St. Charles post office to be recognized for their service.

“Today we are privileged to celebrate and honor the Vietnam veterans for their service,” Rudsinski said.

St. Charles Mayor Lora Vitek thanked Krishnamoorthi for bringing about the change.

“St. Charles is very proud to have this post office renamed the Veterans of the Vietnam War Memorial Post Office,” Vitek said. “Now, every person who walks through these doors will be reminded of those who courageously served in the Vietnam War and the sacrifices they had to make.”

Wayne Kirkpatrick, a decorated Army veteran of the Vietnam War and chairman of Rolling Thunder Illinois Chapter 2, spoke about the horrors that he and his fellow Vietnam veterans faced, the sacrifices they made, the changes they went through and the battles they continued to endure long after returning home.

“What a glorious day this should be,” Kirkpatrick said. “It should be one that every veteran of Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq should be proud of.”

“The war that we were placed in changed many of us forever. Each of us returned home as a changed person to a changed world,” Kirkpatrick said. “To those heroes who understand exactly what I mean, I remain proud to be one of your brothers in arms and resolve to show my appreciation today and forever for your service and your sacrifice.”

Kirkpatrick said veterans today have a new battlefield and a moral obligation to fight against prejudice, public animosity, divisiveness, drug and alcohol abuse, racism, homelessness, social discrimination and political discord and to recognize that those are their new enemies.

“As Vietnam veterans, we need to continue to fight those issues and to win those battles and renaming this post office today should be our first step,” Kirkpatrick said.

Krishnamoorthi started his speech by thanking and welcoming home the Vietnam veterans in attendance.

“We are a grateful country for your service,” Krishnamoorthi said. “I would not be here but for your service and your protection of freedom.”

Krishnamoorthi said the way that Vietnam veterans were met with ingratitude upon their return home from war is what makes showing appreciation now so important.

“Naming this post office in their honor sends a message to our entire community, reminding the residents of St. Charles of the sacrifices made by those almost three million Americans who served in Vietnam,” Krishnamoorthi said.

“Even more than that, it sends a message to our brave veterans of the Vietnam War that we will never forget them. America can never fully repay the debt that we owe these heroes, but by naming this post office for these honored veterans, our communities will honor their service. This is my very, very modest contribution to that effort,” he said.

This was the fourth post office in Illinois that has been renamed in honor of veterans under the advocacy of Krishnamoorthi and he vowed to continue those efforts.

USPS Illinois District Manager Jeff Drake gave the final words before the plaque was unveiled.

“This is a day that we will recommit the courage and dedication of our veterans and will make sure that it is not forgotten,” Drake said. “These plaques do mean something. ... It is evident by the turnout we have here today that it is important to you guys as well.”

“Today’s dedication ceremony ensures that the spirit of veterans will remain forever young and forever brave, for stories of their lives will be told and remembered from generation to generation,” Drake said. “This ceremony shows how much we value tradition and the legacy left to us by those who served their communities and their country. By renaming this building, we pay tribute to Vietnam War veterans, their contributions and their sacrifice. A plaque will permanently hang on the wall in the lobby of this building in their honor.”

Krishnamoorthi said after the ceremony that he was inspired to start renaming post offices by his time spent with veterans and those serving in the armed forces.

He said his relationships with veterans have made him recognize that Americans need to honor and encourage people to serve, support them while they serve and welcome them home when they return so they can be fully integrated back into society.