In Memoriam:

  During the time of year when families come together to give thanks for each other and for all their blessings, we must not fail to remember those who cannot be with their loved ones during the holiday season.In particular, we must keep in mind all the service men and women who are overseas and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country.
To this end, Councilwoman Melinda Katz recently held a ceremony to change a Maspeth street name to commemorate a Marine killed while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"It is in honor of our brave men and women in uniform who so fearlessly serve this country in times of war. I am deeply grateful to them for their patriotism, their courage, and their sacrifices," said Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez at the renaming ceremony.
The street, 59th Drive between 59th Street and 59th Place, was renamed Corporal Robert Marcus Rodriguez Way on November 24.
Rodriguez, known as "Marcus" to his family and "Robert" to his friends, was born in Brooklyn but grew up in Maspeth.
The youngest of five children, he joined the Marine Corps at the age of 17. He became a member of the First Tank Battalion, First Marine Division.
In January 2003 he was deployed to Kuwait, where he was assigned to the Marine First Tank Division, Air/Ground Combat Unit.
On March 25, the tank in which he traveled with three other Marines fell under heavy fire and was forced off a bridge into the Euphrates River. All three died. Rodriguez was the first troop from Queens to lose his life in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
He is remembered as a loving and dedicated son, brother, uncle and friend.
The sign is a tribute to him and his fallen brothers and sisters of the Armed Forces. It will remind all who pass of the sacrifices made in the name of freedom.
Velazquez said of the ceremony, "The dedication of this street in his nameand in his honoris just one small tribute we make to a fallen hero. Corporal Robert Marcus Rodriguez Way will remind us each and every day of his honorable life and how his memory will live on in our hearts. His utmost dedication to the US Marine Corps and to the United States will never be forgotten. Through this street, we will always know that Corporal Rodriguez will be a part of Maspeth and the community that supported him, loved him, and continues to mourn his death."