McLean County Times

Rep. Dan Brady (R-Normal) asked for a moment of silence from the Illinois House just before the end of this spring's session to honor the memory of Sgt. Joshua Rodgers, a Bloomington native who was killed in Afghanistan during a raid against ISIS fighters in Nangarhar Province.

“Let us stand together as this body does in times of tragedy, in times of loss, no matter what district you represent,” Brady said. “We stand, and we stand united, when we lose someone who’s paid the ultimate sacrifice. Please join me in honoring, for a moment of silence, 22-year-old Army Ranger and Bloomington native Josh Rogers, who was killed in a combat mission on Wednesday evening (April 26) in a fight with ISIS… .”

Rodgers grew up in Bloomingdale and graduated from Normal Community High School in 2013, where he was a leader on the school’s track and football teams, according to a report from WCCU.

“[He] was a young man who was described as a hero, a patriot, who stood on principle to serve his country and protect the freedom so many of us take for granted,” Brady said. “He paid the ultimate sacrifice and the Bloomington-Normal community, the State of Illinois and a grateful nation expresses our gratitude for a job well done. Our deepest sympathy to his family. They have given so much and now have lost so much.”