Chet Edwards For Congress

KWTX TV: Local Post Office Renamed For Local Soldier Killed In Vietnam

KWTX TV | October 5, 2008

(October 25, 2008)—A dedication ceremony Saturday morning marked the official renaming of the Clay Avenue Post Office in Waco to honor Pfc. Juan Alonso Covarrrubias, who was killed in action in Vietnam in 1969.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill in January authored by Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco to rename the post office in honor of the decorated paratrooper who was reared in Waco and who was drafted in 1968 when he was 20.

He was killed on Mar. 24, 1969 and was buried on April 4, 1969 at Waco Memorial Park, leaving behind a then-infant daughter, Tammy.

Tammy Covarrubias was expected to attend the ceremony Saturday.

“Juan Alonso Covarrubias is an American hero who gave his life defending our country in Vietnam,” Edwards said.

“We humbly recognize that we can never fully repay him or his family for their loss, but I hope and pray that honoring him in this way will celebrate his dedicated service and preserve his memory,” he said.

Covarrubias was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and Bronze Star Medal during his short tenure in the military