West Central Reporter

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Peoria) is sponsoring legislation to have the Elmwood Post Office named after fallen Marine Corporal Benjamin Desilets.

“I introduced legislation to honor Marine Corporal Benjamin Desilets of Elmwood, Illinois, who was killed serving our country in 2007,” LaHood recently posted on Twitter. “Our country will forever be indebted to Corporal Desilets and we can never fully repay him or his family for his dedication to America.”

Desilets was killed on the night of May 22, 2007, when the lead vehicle he was driving while on a mission in Iraq came in contact with an improvised explosive device (IED) in the Al Anbar province.

Cpl. Julian Woodall, 21, of Tallahassee, Fla., was also killed. Both victims were members of the 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 11 Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.  

House Resolution 6404 would formally rename the Elmwood Post Office at 114 North Magnolia St. the “Corporal Benjamin Desilets Post Office” as a tribute to the 2004 Elmwood High grad, who would have celebrated his 36th birthday earlier this month.

While in the service, Desilets often distinguished himself, including being awarded a Purple Heart, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.

Remembered in his central Illinois hometown as a “friend to everyone,” Desilets joined the military to support his young daughter.

“He was just a dynamic kid. He was a very handsome boy and he was just as pretty on the inside,” English teacher Cathy Meyers told TheFallen.MilitaryTimes.com. “Kids come and go, but this is one you don’t forget.”

Posthumously promoted to corporal, Desilets is survived by his daughter, Kyra Coyle-Desilets.