US post office to be renamed after fallen Korean American soldier

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Mon, October 2, 2023 | 22:54

Defense

US post office to be renamed after fallen Korean American soldier

Posted : 2022-12-18 12:14

Updated : 2022-12-20 09:34

By Kang Seung-woo

A post office in Placentia, Calif. will be designated as the PFC Jang Ho Kim Post Office Building after a bill to honor a fallen Korean American service member was passed last week.

PFC Jang Ho Kim / Courtesy of Rep. Young Kim's office

Kim, who was born in Seoul and immigrated to the United States in 1990, was killed in a roadside bomb attack in Baghdad on Nov. 13, 2006, while serving as a U.S. Army private first class. He graduated from Valencia High School in Placentia and enrolled in Fullerton College before joining the military in June 2005.

"While PFC Jang Ho Kim left us too soon, his legacy of courage and service lives on through his loved ones, others he inspired to serve and all those who share his story," said Rep. Young Kim, a Republican representative of California's 39th district who introduced the bill in February.

"We can enjoy our American freedoms because of the sacrifice of those who have served. I'm grateful to the entire California delegation for backing this bill and thrilled we are one step closer to preserving PFC Kim's honorable story in Placentia for years to come."

The fallen service member's family also said, "Jang Ho was a dedicated Army service member, promising young man, and proud American. We love and miss him dearly and are very grateful to the congresswoman for working hard to honor his memory,"

He received the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, in addition to four other awards, medals and badges for his exemplary service and sacrifice. He is buried at the Riverside National Cemetery in California.

The post office will be the fifth public facility in the U.S. to honor Koreans or Korean Americans by officially naming buildings after them.

The four others are the Dosan Ahn Chang Ho (Sanford) Post Office; Charles H. Kim Elementary School; Young Oak Kim Academy and Wilshire/Western/Alfred Hoyun Song Station, all of which are located in Los Angeles.

ksw@koreatimes.co.kr