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BASTROP — A post office on Main Street now bears the name of one of Bastrop’s most decorated sons.
U.S. Rep. Michael Mc-Caul, whose district includes Bastrop County, hosted a dedication ceremony June 17 to officially name the post office at 1106 Main St. the Sergeant Major Billy D. Waugh Post Office, honoring the late Army veteran, CIA officer and Bastrop native. Waugh served in nearly every branch of U.S. special operations over a five-decade career. “A member of the Greatest Generation, Sergeant Major Billy D. Waugh was a true American hero who dedicated himself to a life of courage, patriotism and self-sacrifice,” McCaul said at the event. “I am proud to officially dedicate the Bastrop Post Office in his honor so all Texans can remember his incredible life of service.”
McCaul introduced the legislation and defended the bill on the House floor in December. It was signed into law later that month.
Waugh was born in Bastrop in 1929 and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1948. He went on to serve as a paratrooper and Green Beret, seeing combat in both the Korean and Vietnam wars, including participation in the first high-altitude, low-opening— known as HALO— parachute combat jump in military history.
He earned dozens of military honors, including a Silver Star, four Bronze Stars and eight Purple Hearts—placing him third on the list of most Purple Hearts received by any U.S. service member, according to military records.
After retiring from the Army in 1972, Waugh briefly worked for the U.S. Postal Service before joining the Central Intelligence Agency. There, he took part in counterterrorism missions targeting high-profile operatives including Carlos the Jackal and Osama bin Laden.
“Throughout his impressive career, he never lost his sense of duty, his patriotism or his enduring love of freedom,” Mc-Caul said.
At age 71, Waugh remained active and deployed to Afghanistan as part of the CIA’s post-9/11 operations.
Waugh later returned to Bastrop, where he lived until his death in 2023 at 93 years old.
McCaul called him “the unparalleled godfather of the Green Berets” and said the post office renaming is a lasting tribute to his service and sacrifice.
