Rep. McCaul Honors Texas War Hero with New Legislation

U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) introduced a bill to designate the United States Postal Service located at 1106 Main Street in Bastrop, Texas, as the ‘‘Sergeant Major Billy D. Waugh Post Office” to honor one of his district’s great patriots and war heroes.

Rep. McCaul said, “Sergeant Major Waugh epitomized the American values of courage, patriotism, and self-sacrifice. Through his unparalleled life of service, he undoubtedly saved countless American lives and pushed back terrorism and evil around the world. Naming a landmark like the Bastrop Post Office after Sergeant Major Waugh would be an enduring testament to a life well-lived — and an opportunity for all Texans to pay homage to this great American hero.”

Background

Sergeant Major Billy D. Waugh was born 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 service, Mr. Waugh received dozens of awards and medals, including eight Purple Hearts for his combat wounds — placing him third on the list of most Purple Hearts ever received. 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.

He eventually returned to his hometown of Bastrop and passed away in April 2023 at the age of 93.