Ernst, Grassley join effort to name Cedar Rapids post office for Eastern Iowa soldier

By James Q. Lynch

DES MOINES — Iowa’s U.S. senators, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, have joined their House colleagues in seeking to name the Cedar Rapids Post Office for a carpenter who was killed while serving with the Iowa Army National Guard in Afghanistan.

They have introduced legislation to name the downtown post office for Sgt. 1st Class Terryl L. Pasker, who was killed July 9, 2011, just days before his combat tour was scheduled to end.

Reps. Rod Blum, Dave Loebsack, David Young and Steve King co-sponsored the legislation in the House to designate the downtown Cedar Rapids Post Office the “Sergeant First Class Terryl L. Pasker Post Office Building.”

Pasker, an Anamosa native who was a Cedar Rapids carpenter, was 39 when he was attacked by small-arms fire at a security checkpoint, according to the Iowa Army National Guard.

“When our country called on him to serve, Sgt. 1st Class Terryl Pasker made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedoms,” said Ernst, who served in Iraq as a member of the Iowa Army National Guard. “While we will never be able to say ‘thank you’ enough to SFC Pasker and his family, this post office would honor his legacy and serve as a symbol throughout the community of his unwavering heroism.”

“Pasker served our country and lost his life on our behalf,” Grassley added. “In turn, we should honor his service in every possible way, including the recognition of a community fixture named for him.”

Ernst said Wednesday she hopes that naming the post office won’t be a long process.

“It should be as simple as passing the legislation,” she said. “We think it’s the right thing to do.”