Plainfield Post Office to Be Renamed in Honor of Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr.

WASHINGTON — Legislation by Rep. Lauren Underwood to rename the Plainfield Post Office for Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr. passed the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform with unanimous bipartisan support and now awaits consideration by the full House. Underwood secured backing from every member of the Illinois congressional delegation to designate the Post Office at 14855 South Van Dyke Road as the “Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr. Post Office Building.” Dueñez and three other soldiers were killed during an Army training exercise in Lithuania on March 31, 2025. Born April 8, 1999, in Joliet, he served seven years in the Army, completed deployments in Poland, Germany, and Lithuania, rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant, and received multiple medals including Army Commendation and Army Achievement Medals.