Bill introduced to name Brownsville post office after fallen soldier

A bill has been introduced in Congress which proposes to name the main U.S. Post Office in Brownsville after a fallen Army lieutenant from Brownsville.

U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, wants the post office on Los Ebanos Boulevard to be named the First Lieutenant Andres Zermeno Post Office.

Zermeno was killed in action Sept. 25, 2011, during combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Shekhabad, Afghanistan.

“First Lieutenant Andres Zermeno is not only one of our Nation’s heroes, he is also a hometown hero,” said Vela, in a press release. “I believe that it is fitting to rename the United States Post Office in Brownsville, Texas, in honor of First Lieutenant Zermeno and his brave service to his country. This dedication will memorialize First Lieutenant Zermeno in our community and recognize his sacrifice for generations to come.”

Zermeno was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal, the Combat Action Badge, and a Non-Article 5 Medal by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.