By Greg Halbleib

NORMAL – The Normal post office now carries the name of a local fallen soldier.

In front of about 200 local leaders and residents, a plaque renaming the Normal post office in honor of Army Ranger Joshua Rodgers was unveiled in a ceremony on North Street in front of the facility. Rodgers was killed while serving in Afghanistan two years ago.

Congressman Darin LaHood said Rodgers lives on through the dedication.

“Josh Rodgers was taken from this world way too soon,” LaHood told those attending the ceremony. “While we can never fully repay him for the sacrifice he made, it is my hope and the hope of many here that renaming this building will serve as a reminder to everyone who passes by or stops in of the honor, valor and courage of Josh Rodgers.”

Josh’s father Kevin Rodgers told the crowd that his son’s fellow rangers, some of whom attended the ceremony, upheld their duty on the night Josh was killed.

“These men, along with several other rangers, fought for nearly three hours against a superior force–superior only in number, that is–until they had completed their mission,” Kevin Rodgers said. “That was the best way they could have honored Josh.”

A section of Airport Road will be named in Rodgers’ honor Friday afternoon.

Greg Halbleib can be reached at [email protected].