Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza, Lance Corporal Juan Rodrigo Rodriguez Sergeant Roberto Arizola Jr. Post Office Building

Floor Speech

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Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin) for yielding. In addition, I thank both Mr. Raskin and Mr. Donalds for speaking about these three heroes from Laredo.

Madam Speaker, this bill honors the lives of Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza, Lance Corporal Juan Rodrigo Rodriguez, and Sergeant Roberto Arizola, Jr., who gave their lives for our Nation. This bill will rename the Del Mar Post Office in Laredo, Texas, which will honor these heroes' sacrifices.

Although words and actions cannot replace these brave individuals, dedicating this post office honors their legacies.

Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza was born on July 10, 2001, in Laredo, Texas, but lived in nearby Rio Bravo, Texas, all his life. He graduated from Lyndon B. Johnson High School in 2019. Shortly after graduating, he joined the United States Marine Corps.

On August 26, 2021, during the withdrawal from Afghanistan, Lance Corporal Espinoza was one of the 13 servicemembers killed in Kabul, Afghanistan. He was only 20 years old.

Lance Corporal Juan Rodrigo Rodriguez lived in El Cenizo, a town near Laredo, where he attended United South High School and was involved in Junior ROTC. He led his group to a Junior ROTC national championship in 1998.

After graduating from high school in 2000, he joined the United States Marine Forces Reserve. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Division, Corpus Christi, Texas. On January 13, 2005, Lance Corporal Rodriguez died in action while conducting combat operations in the Anbar Province in Iraq. He was only 23 years of age.

Sergeant Roberto Arizola was born December 11, 1973, in Laredo, Texas. He graduated from high school in 1992 and enlisted in the United States Army in 1996. He was assigned to the 297th Military Intelligence Battalion, 513th Military Intelligence Brigade, Fort Gordon, Georgia.

Sergeant Arizola had been a Border Patrol agent taking care of our borders in Laredo, Texas, before he was deployed to Iraq in May of 2004. On June 8, 2005, a day before he was scheduled to return from Iraq, Sergeant Arizola was killed in an explosion near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq. He was only 31 years of age.

Through this dedication, we ensure that their heroic legacy remains engraved in the hearts of our community, a lasting tribute to their selfless service and courage.

Madam Speaker, I thank not only these brave soldiers but all the veterans who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation. We would not be here without them.

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