JOHNSON CITY, TN – Congressman Phil Roe and the United States Postal Service will host a Dedication Ceremony to rename the Johnson City Post Office building in honor of Major Homer L. Pease.  The public is invited to attend.  The ceremony will take place on Friday, Oct. 25, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. (EST) at the Memorial Park Circle, across from the Johnson City Post Office, 530 E Main St. 

Congressman Roe, Johnson City Mayor Jenny Brock, postal officials, and members of the Pease family will participate in the program, which will culminate with the unveiling of the dedication plaque.  The building renaming is by an Act of Congress, Public Law 115-378, December 21, 2018.  The original bill was introduced by Congressman Roe.

BIOGRAPHY – Major Homer Pease was a native of Johnson City, TN. He first tried to join the Marine Corps in 1942 at age 13 but was turned away; so he convinced a stranger to act as his father at the Army recruiting office instead.

After he successfully joined the Army, he then completed basic training and became a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne, landing at Normandy on D-Day. He was wounded shortly after but later rejoined his unit, fighting in the Ardennes Forest, the Battle of the Bulge and Berchtesgaden. When he was wounded again, the Army discovered how old he was and sent him home at 15.

He was awarded a bronze star and a Purple Heart for his service and returned home to complete high school. However, on his 16th birthday, he was again called to serve, making it as far as Fort Bragg before the Army sent him home once more. But his commitment to his country wasn’t done there. He served in ROTC in high school and at ETSU before receiving his commission in the National Guard after college.

Even then, he still felt a calling to serve his country and later became a U.S. Army Ranger at age 36, arriving in Vietnam in March 1966. On November 19 of that year, while leading a ground combat operation, Homer Pease was killed in action. For the bravery he displayed, he was awarded the Silver Star, another Purple Heart and was promoted to Major.

Informed Delivery users can see the mail before it’s delivered to the mailbox – Register now at www.informeddelivery.usps.com. 

The Tennessee District serves ZIP Codes 370-374, 376-385 in Tennessee and 307 in northern Georgia.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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