Stauber Legislation Renaming Akeley Post Office in Honor of Neal Todd Passes House

Today, legislation introduced by Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) to rename the Akeley, Minnesota, Post Office after Neal Kenneth Todd passed the House of Representatives. Neal was an Akeley native who perished during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and his remains were recently identified and returned home to Akeley, where he was finally laid to rest next to his family.

“We can never forget the sacrifices made by heroes like Neal Kenneth Todd,” said Congressman Stauber. “Americans like Neal are the reason that this nation is known as the land of the free and the home of the brave. I’m proud to lead this legislation that renames the Akeley Post Office in Neal’s honor and look forward to its passage to remind future generations of his service in defense of our freedoms.”

Last year, Congressman Stauber had the honor of attending Neal’s funeral and presenting his family with an American flag he had flown over the United States Capitol. The entire Minnesota delegation co-sponsored the bill upon its introduction in July 2021.

BACKGROUND:

Neal Kenneth Todd joined the Navy in 1940 and was assigned to the USS Oklahoma as a Navy Fireman First Class. While stationed at Pearl Harbor, the ship was attacked by the Japanese air force on December 7, 1941. Neal's brother, Wesley Todd, was also serving on the USS Oklahoma during the bombing. Wesley was fortunate to escape the sinking ship, but Neal's fate was unknown to the Todd family for months. Neal was later pronounced dead and awarded the Purple Heart.

He is honored at the USS Oklahoma Memorial and Honolulu Memorial of the Courts of the Missing. The remains of Neal and other service members were recovered in the months following the attack but were not identified by the U.S. Department of Defense until a 2015 Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency project.

On February 11, 2021, Neal's remains were successfully matched to his family. He was reunited with his brother, Orville Staffenhagen, and sister, Karyn Stiffler in Akeley, Minnesota on July 10, 2021. Neal was buried with full military honors next to his younger brother, Alfred Staffenhagen, Jr., who also served in the U.S. Navy, and his mother Irena.

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