December 19, 2024 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed his bill designating the United States Post Office located on Main Street in Bastrop, Texas as the “Sergeant Major Billy D. Waugh Post Office.” The bill memorializes the service of Sergeant Major Waugh, a Silver Star, and eight-time Purple Heart recipient, and now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
Upon passage, Sen. Cruz said, “Sergeant Major Billy Waugh dedicated his life to serving his state and country. As an Army paratrooper, Special Forces Soldier, CIA paramilitary officer, Postal Service member, and eight-time Purple Heart recipient, he embodied the highest ideals of American patriotism and sacrifice. By naming the Bastrop Post Office after Sergeant Major Waugh, we honor his legacy of resilience, courage, and sacrifice.”
Sen. Cornyn said, “I am proud to champion legislation alongside Senator Cruz to designate the post office in Bastrop, Texas, after Sergeant Major Waugh, a decorated combat war veteran and eight-time Purple Heart recipient who dedicated five decades of service to our country. Now that this bill has passed the Senate, we are one step closer to renaming this facility in his honor, which will serve as a reminder of his impressive legacy and lifetime of service for generations to come.”
BACKGROUND
Sergeant Major Billy D. Waugh was born in December 1929 and raised in Bastrop, Texas. He served his country as an Army paratrooper and Special Forces Soldier from 1948 to 1972, including seven years in combat during the Korean and Vietnam wars. He also was part of the first high-altitude, low-opening (HALO) combat parachute assault in military history.
For his military service, Sergeant Major Waugh received dozens of awards and medals, including the Silver Star and eight Purple Hearts for his combat wounds. After retirement, he joined the United States Postal Service before again serving his country as a paramilitary operations officer in the Central Intelligence Agency, where he successfully pursued terrorists including Carlos the Jackal and Osama Bin Laden.
Sergeant Major Waugh eventually returned to his hometown of Bastrop and passed away in April 2023 at the age of 93.
