thedrifter
11-15-07, 01:10 PM
Fallen Marine to be honored with post office
12:09 PM CST on Thursday, November 15, 2007
By JESSICA VESS
KVUE News
A Texas Marine killed in action is now being honored.
Cpl. Steven Patrick Gill was overseas with his Marine Corps unit for three months when a road-side bomb exploded and killed him. That fatal explosion was two years ago. Now the U.S. House of Representative is paying tribute to the fallen Marine by renaming a Round Rock post office in his honor.
"Every Marine here fights because they believe in something good about our own country, but I mainly do it because I do not want to hear or see the car bombs going off at the local H-E-B in 15 to 20 years," said Rose Camero-Gill, mother of Steven Gill.
Those were some of the last words Cpl. Gill wrote home. His mother kept the letter and had it framed. Cpl. Gill died in Zaidon, Iraq on June 21, 2005 by an improvised explosive device. His father holds onto a video taken by fellow Marines of Gill's farewell tribute while they were still in Iraq. One Marine carried Cpl. Gill's gun, another carried his helmet and a third laid down his boots.
"It was a traumatic experience for all of us, but we've learned to live with it," said Bill Gill, father of Steven Gill.
A look around his mother's home and it's obvious the memory of Cpl. Gill isn't gone, but now his heroism will be highlighted in his hometown: Round Rock. The U.S. House of Representatives approved a tribute in his honor. The Round Rock post office off Sam Bass Road will soon be renamed "The Marine Corps Corporal Steven P. Gill Post Office."
"I think it's great I really do, I think it's very touching," said Rachel Frazier, Round Rock resident.
"I just wrote a letter asking if they would consider it and here it is," said Camero-Gill.
It took a few weeks for Congressman John Carter to introduce the bill to the House.
Rose and Bill meet up together Tuesday afternoon to watch the House of Representatives make its vote live on C-SPAN, now the bill will go to the Senate for final approval.
"People come and go daily and they do their business there. That name will mean something to his friends and others that go there because it's in his neighborhood on Sam Bass, and maybe for others it won't mean anything, but at least it'll keep that memory alive that somebody sacrificed their life for this country and that's enough," said Bill Gill.
Cpl. Gill had big plans after serving his country. He wanted to finish college at Concordia University. He wanted to be a youth minister. Instead his legacy will live on, for all to see, outside a post office in his hometown.
Gill is at least the 10th fallen Iraq War Veteran to earn this honor.
Ellie
12:09 PM CST on Thursday, November 15, 2007
By JESSICA VESS
KVUE News
A Texas Marine killed in action is now being honored.
Cpl. Steven Patrick Gill was overseas with his Marine Corps unit for three months when a road-side bomb exploded and killed him. That fatal explosion was two years ago. Now the U.S. House of Representative is paying tribute to the fallen Marine by renaming a Round Rock post office in his honor.
"Every Marine here fights because they believe in something good about our own country, but I mainly do it because I do not want to hear or see the car bombs going off at the local H-E-B in 15 to 20 years," said Rose Camero-Gill, mother of Steven Gill.
Those were some of the last words Cpl. Gill wrote home. His mother kept the letter and had it framed. Cpl. Gill died in Zaidon, Iraq on June 21, 2005 by an improvised explosive device. His father holds onto a video taken by fellow Marines of Gill's farewell tribute while they were still in Iraq. One Marine carried Cpl. Gill's gun, another carried his helmet and a third laid down his boots.
"It was a traumatic experience for all of us, but we've learned to live with it," said Bill Gill, father of Steven Gill.
A look around his mother's home and it's obvious the memory of Cpl. Gill isn't gone, but now his heroism will be highlighted in his hometown: Round Rock. The U.S. House of Representatives approved a tribute in his honor. The Round Rock post office off Sam Bass Road will soon be renamed "The Marine Corps Corporal Steven P. Gill Post Office."
"I think it's great I really do, I think it's very touching," said Rachel Frazier, Round Rock resident.
"I just wrote a letter asking if they would consider it and here it is," said Camero-Gill.
It took a few weeks for Congressman John Carter to introduce the bill to the House.
Rose and Bill meet up together Tuesday afternoon to watch the House of Representatives make its vote live on C-SPAN, now the bill will go to the Senate for final approval.
"People come and go daily and they do their business there. That name will mean something to his friends and others that go there because it's in his neighborhood on Sam Bass, and maybe for others it won't mean anything, but at least it'll keep that memory alive that somebody sacrificed their life for this country and that's enough," said Bill Gill.
Cpl. Gill had big plans after serving his country. He wanted to finish college at Concordia University. He wanted to be a youth minister. Instead his legacy will live on, for all to see, outside a post office in his hometown.
Gill is at least the 10th fallen Iraq War Veteran to earn this honor.
Ellie