Hartford Courant: Post Office to be Renamed for Marine

A local post office will be named in honor of Marine Cpl. Stephen R. Bixler, a Suffield native who was killed in Iraq last year, now that the White House has given final approval.

A bill proposing to dedicate the Suffield Post Office at 235 Mountain Road in honor of Bixler has been signed into law by President Bush, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney said Monday.

Courtney, who proposed the bill in August, said a dedication ceremony is being planned at the post office.

"It's gratifying that we've completed the journey," said Courtney, who received nearly 200 letters from residents and government officials in support of the bill during a monthlong public comment period. "It's something the people of Suffield should get the biggest amount of credit for. It was their idea, and their strong grass-roots support is what really pushed this all the way to the president."

The bill, H.R. 3325, which was signed into law Friday, is believed to be the first to rename a Connecticut post office after a fallen soldier. It received the unanimous support of Connecticut's congressional delegation. Courtney also received letters of support from high-ranking state and federal officials, including Gov. M. Jodi Rell and Marine Lt. Col. James M. Bright.

Bright, who commanded the battalion that Bixler belonged to, described him in a letter as a "vibrant, active man" and a "devoted soldier with strength and character and self-assurance."

"He died fearlessly, leading and willingly, sacrificing his own safety for those around him," Bright said in his letter, which was read on the House floor.

The designation holds a greater and more personal significance for Bixler's family — his father, Richard Bixler, is a letter carrier in East Windsor. Richard Bixler drives by the post office, less than a mile away from his family's home, every day on his way to work.

"It's going to make me feel very proud that he was remembered this way," he said. "We're just thankful for everybody that was able to write letters of support and to Congressman Courtney."

Hartford Courant, 12/4/07, By Lynn Doan