A bill authored by Congressman Gus Bilirakis and co-sponsored by every member of Florida’s Congressional Delegation was passed by the House of Representatives earlier this week. It will rename the United States Post Office, at 207 E. Fort Dade Ave., in Brooksville, as the Specialist Justin Dean Coleman Memorial Post Office, according to a news release.
During his first tour of duty with the 10th Mountain, 32nd Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army in July 2009, Spc. Coleman of Hernando County was killed in action while patrolling a residential area of Nuristan Province in Afghanistan. He was only 21 years old, the release says.
Coleman’s platoon conducted patrols of a local village, going house to house checking for Taliban combatants. During the patrol, Coleman provided security outside one of the houses and received direct fire from an enemy combatant, fatally wounding him.
By drawing fire away from his platoon, the soldier’s actions allowed his comrades time to take cover, locate the enemy and successfully counterattack.
Because of his sacrifice, Coleman earned the Bronze Star.
Published June 19, 2024
