WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today introduced legislation to rename the Ellwood City Post Office the Sergeant Leslie H. Sabo, Jr. Post Office Building. The name change would honor Sergeant Sabo, an Ellwood City native who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in a White House ceremony earlier this year.
"Sergeant Sabo gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country while saving the lives of his fellow soldiers in the face of grave danger," said Senator Casey. "To call Sergeant Sabo a hero only begins to capture his selfless bravery, and renaming the Ellwood City Post Office in his honor is one small way to ensure his actions are never forgotten."
Sergeant Sabo graduated from Lincoln High School in 1966. On May 10, 1970, Sergeant Sabo was killed in Cambodia while serving in the Vietnam War. While being ambushed, Sergeant Sabo bravely distributed ammunition to his platoon and was injured shielding a fellow soldier from a grenade blast. Sergeant Sabo continued to provide cover for evacuation helicopters to retrieve wounded soldiers until he was killed by enemy fire.
Sergeant Sabo was immediately recommended for the Medal of Honor but missing paperwork led to a 29 year delay in the process. A legislative fix was needed to get over the normal three year statute of limitations for the award, and Sergeant Sabo was finally awarded the Medal of Honor on May 16 of this year.
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