Legislation to rename Huron, Sioux Falls Post Offices passes, ready for Biden signature

WASHINGTON South Dakota U.S. Senator Mike Rounds announced Thursday that his bills to rename South Dakota post offices in Huron and Sioux Falls after fallen service members have passed the House and await the Presidents signature to make them law.

First introduced in November 2023, S.3267 will designate the Huron Post Office as the First Lieutenant Thomas Michael Martin Post Office Building.

Originally from Huron, 1LT Martin was a 5th generation Beadle County Martin, whose great-great-grandfather homesteaded northeast of Huron in the 1880s.

1LT Martin was born in Huron and later moved around the country due to his parents active duty service that moved the family out of South Dakota.

He enlisted in the United States Army in 1998 and would go on to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point. 1LT Martin died during combat operations on October 14, 2007 while serving in Iraq.

First introduced in June 2023, S.2143 will designate the Downtown Sioux Falls Post Office as the Staff Sergeant Robb Lura Rolfing Post Office Building. Staff Sgt. Rolfing was born and raised in Sioux Falls and graduated from OGorman High School.

He was a Special Forces engineer sergeant assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Fort Carson, Colo.
Staff Sgt. Rolfing died from wounds sustained while conducting combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq on June 30, 2007.

1LT Martin and Staff Sergeant Rolfing represent the best of our nation, said Rounds. These two men gave their lives in defense of not only our nation but the freedoms we stand for. The naming of these Post Offices in their honor will stand as a reminder to all who visit about the true cost of freedom. Thank you to my House colleagues who supported these two pieces of legislation. I look forward to seeing them signed into law.

Our family is so honored to have a prominent building named in memory of our son, in the city I grew up in, and where two of our four children were born, said Ed Martin, 1LT Martins dad. Our family is confident that Toms legacy will live on for years, as those who pass by the Huron Post Office will give cause to pause and research who he was, what he stood for, and why our beautiful historic Huron Post Office is named in memory of our Tom.