Local veteran and Santa Barbara County native Frederick Lopez could soon see a post office in Goleta named after him, honoring his years of military service.
On Friday, at the Santa Barbara Veterans’ Memorial Building, Congressman Salud Carbajal announced a new legislative effort to rename the Goleta post office on Patterson Avenue after Lopez, a retired brigadier general in the U.S. Marine Corps with 30 years of service.
“It’s not just about putting a name on the plaque,” Carbajal said. “General Lopez also deserves to have his decades of service honored by his and our own communities in a way that will inspire others. If putting his name on this federal building inspires one person to learn more about him and his service and be inspired to serve themselves, that will be a validation of this effort, and I have no doubt that that will happen.”
Lopez joined the Marine Corps in 1967 after he graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He served as a platoon commander during the Vietnam War, which earned him a Bronze Star and Combat Action Ribbon. Lopez also earned a Distinguished Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and other decorations before he retired in 1998.
As a Marine Corps veteran himself, Carbajal noted the importance of recognizing Latino and Hispanic service members, noting that over 20% of the current U.S. military, and over 8% of veterans, are Hispanic.
“I share that because I think it’s important to also understand the contributions that all the groups that make up our country continue to contribute,” Carbajal said.
Lopez thanked Carbajal for the recognition and spoke about how proud he was to call Santa Barbara home.
“In my wildest imagination, I would have never thought that my name could be on the front of a hometown United States Post Office,” Lopez said. “What could I have ever done to earn this honor? For me, the answer is simple in theory, but hard in execution: to honorably and proudly serve my country in the best way possible and treat those around us with respect and gratitude.”
Goleta City Councilman James Kyriaco, who has the Patterson Post Office in his district, said that this isn’t the only place where residents will see the name Frederick Lopez.
The similar name Frederick P. Lopez can be found twice within the Santa Barbara Airport, honoring his service in World War II. Frederick P. Lopez died in action and was good friends with General Lopez’s father.
“This will be the third time that the name Frederick Lopez is affixed to an important place of honor in our community that really speaks to the power of service, the power of family, the power of friendship,” Kyriaco said. “It’s an honor to be here with both your blood family and your service family here today, and to be able to commemorate your service and to welcome a son of Goleta to permanently reside in Goleta.”
Santa Barbara City Councilman Eric Friedman reflected on how Lopez teaches and represents the power of service to the community during Memorial Day and Veterans Day celebrations at the Santa Barbara Cemetery each year.
“That’s what’s going to happen when this bill passes, is that individuals are going to come to the post office and look at his name, and some, like the congressman said, will look him up and wonder why did he get it named after him, and they’ll learn his story,” Friedman said.
Carbajal will likely introduce the bill to the 119th United States Congress, which will convene Jan. 3. From there the bill will go to the House for approval, and then to the Senate.
