SANTA BARBARA, CA — On Thursday, August 17, 2017, the Victoria Court Post Office, 1221 State St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101 will be dedicated to honor Special Warfare Operator Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Louis ‘Lou’ J. Langlais.

“We are very proud to have this facility honor the life and accomplishments of Louis J. Langlais,” said Post Office Operations Manager Michael Martino, who will be joined by Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24), former Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA-24) and other dignitaries at the 10 a.m. ceremony.

Before her retirement, Capps introduced the legislation signed into law by President Barack Obama (H.R. 3218) on December 16, 2016, naming the building for Louis ‘Lou’ J. Langlais, thereby paying tribute to a man that bravely served the American public for some 25 years, routinely putting his life on the line for the safety of his country.

Langlais rose to become a troop leader in the Navy Seals’ elite Team Six, the secretive unit that killed Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. He lost his life on what would have been his last deployment in Afghanistan when the helicopter he was in was shot down. He was one of 30 Americans to die in that deadly attack.

Family members and friends remember Langlais as a precision parachute jumper, a rock climber who sometimes scaled cliffs without a rope and his amazing mental ability to suppress fear when leading his comrades into dangerous and life-threatening situations.

Langlais rose to the rank of master chief, the highest possible rank for enlisted personnel. He spent multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, earning five Bronze Stars with “V” decorations for valor in combat, a Purple Heart, combat action ribbons and medals for service and expeditions in the global war on terror.

Langlais is survived by his wife, Anya, and their two sons, Gabe and Jack.

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