SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE BILL TO RENAME KINGSTON POST OFFICE IN HONOR OF WORLD WAR II SOLDIER ROBERT H. DIETZ HAS CLEARED FIRST KEY SENATE HURDLE – SENATE COMMITTEE HAS PASSED BILL AND IT NOW HEADS TO FLOOR FOR FULL SENATE VOTE; SENATORS VOW TO FIGHT FOR PASSAGE

In September, Schumer and Gillibrand Introduced Bill to Rename Post Office After Kingston Native Killed in Action During WWII

Today, Bill Passed Senate Committee & Now Heads to Floor For Full Senate Vote – Schumer & Gillibrand Vow To Fight Until Bill is Signed By President

Schumer, Gillibrand: Dedication of Kingston Post Office in Staff Sergeant Dietz’s Name Will Be Fitting Memorial to His Heroic Service

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that the bill to rename the Kingston Post Office in honor of Kingston native and World War II hero, Staff Sergeant Robert Dietz, has passed the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC). Schumer and Gillibrand said it will now head to the Senate floor for a full vote and they will fight for its passage. Located at 90 Cornell Street in Kingston, Schumer and Gillibrand said renaming the post office in his honor would serve as a lasting tribute to Staff Sgt. Dietz, who was killed in action during a mission in WWII.

“Called to serve his country during WWII, Staff Sgt. Dietz paid the ultimate sacrifice while protecting the freedoms we all know and cherish,” said Senator Schumer. “He is a true American hero, and naming the Kingston Post Office after him would be a truly fitting tribute to his service and allow his legacy to live on in an enduring way. I am honored to be able to announce that the bill to do just that has now cleared its first major hurdle in the Senate, and I will continue fighting tooth and nail until it receives a signature from the President.”

“I’m pleased that Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee approved this measure and we are now one step closer to naming the Post Office in honor of Staff Sergeant Dietz,” said Senator Gillibrand. “He bravely served our nation during World War II and made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms. Naming the Post Office after Staff Sergeant Dietz would be a fitting tribute to his life and the sacrifice he made for our nation.”

Schumer and Gillibrand explained that this bill, just passed out of the HSGAC committee, would rename the post office in Kingston the “Staff Sergeant Robert H. Dietz Post Office Building.” Staff Sgt. Robert Dietz was born in January 1921 in Kingston, NY. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 and served as a Staff Sgt. in Company A, 38th Armored Infantry Battalion, 7th Armored Division. He was killed in action during a mission in WWII after advancing through enemy fire in Germany to disconnect bridge demolition charges and neutralize artillery teams defending the road into town. Staff Sgt. Dietz was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in December 1945 for his service.

The text of Staff Sergeant Dietz’s Medal of Honor citation from the U.S. Army reads, “By his intrepidity and valiant effort on his self-imposed mission, single-handedly opened the road for the capture of Kirchain and left with his comrades an inspiring example of gallantry in the face of formidable odds.”

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