Post office renamed in honor of fallen Illinois guardsman

MAROA, Ill. (WAND) - The post office in Maroa was officially renamed in honor of a fallen Illinois guardsman.

On Tuesday, Congressman Rodney David (R-Illinois), members of the Illinois National Guard, and the family of Spc. Jeremy Ridlen gathered to unveil the plaque at the Maroa Post Office on East Main Street, renaming the building in honor of Spc. Jeremy Ridlen of the 1544th Transportation Company.

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"This is just one small token of our appreciation of Jeremy Ridlen and the many brave men and women in our military," said Congressman Davis.

Spc. Ridlen was among 170 Soldiers who were deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in Dec. 2003 with the 1544th Transportation Company, based in Paris. In Feb. 2004, he arrived in Iraq and was assigned to provide convoy security for convoys moving throughout central Iraq, mostly in an area known as the Sunni Triangle.

Sgt. 1st Class Phillip Tuttle, First Sergeant, HHC 232 CSSB Illinois National Guard served alongside Spc. Ridlen while in Iraq. He told members of the community that they were assigned to convoys that were transporting mail through central Iraq to bases for the Troops.

"True to his dependability and character, Jeremy was selected as a gunner for his convoy team. Gunners for these teams often had to make life or death decisions in a blink of an eye," Tuttle said.

Tuttle described his fellow service member as a hero, not just for his actions while serving, but for the person he was. Spc. Jeremy was a man of faith and would pray with his fellow Troops before they left on convoys.

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On May 23, 2004, Tuttle said Spc. Ridlen volunteered to take the place of a fellow soldier who was sick on a convoy. That convoy was struck by a vehicle that was packed with explosives and small arms fire. Spc. Ridlen was just 23 years old when he was killed.

"True to his nature, Jeremy remained in his gunbox and returned fire," said Tuttle. "Those traits he exhibited his whole life showed up on that day to make sure the convoy was able to move safely out of the area and that makes him a true hero."

James Keith, a Maroa native, and veteran was an ROTC instructor at Illinois State University. He told WAND News, one of his former cadets pulled Jeremy from the wreckage that day. He explained after hearing the story of Jeremy's bravery and sacrifice he knew something needed to be done to honor him.

Keith reached out to Congressman Davis and helped spark a piece of legislation to change the name of the Maroa Post Office in honor of Spc. Ridlen.

"Jeremy is a true hero," he said. "Those guys are the ones we need to look up to and say thank you."

Now, anytime someone walks into the Maroa Post Office they are met on the right-hand side of the wall with a plaque dedicating the building to Spc. Jeremy Ridlen.

"It is my sincere hope that the Jeremy Ridlen Post Office will serve as a reminder to those in future generations of what a true hero is long after we are gone," said Tuttle.

Ridlen was born and raised in Maroa, where he attended Maroa-Forsyth High School. He and his twin brother, Jason, attended Illinois State University where they signed up for the Illinois National Guard and were assigned to the 1544th.