Joliet to designate street to honor fallen Staff Sgt. Duenez Jr.

The city of Joliet will dedicate a section of street to Staff Sgt. Jose Duenez Jr., who died this year in a training mission in Lithuania.

A ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 11 at Washington Street and Albert Avenue.

Mayor Terry D’Arcy said the dedication will pay tribute to Duenez on the street where he grew up.

“The street dedication stands as a permanent tribute to his service and sacrifice and a deep love for country and family,” D’Arcy said Tuesday at a City Council meeting before the street designation was approved. “It’s a reminder to all of us of the tremendous sacrifice our men and women in uniform are willing to pay to protect our freedoms.”

Attendees on Friday, April 18, 2025, outside Tezak Funeral Home in Joliet, for the funeral procession for U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jose Dueñez Jr. He was one of four soldiers who died March 31, 2025 when their armored vehicle sunk in a bog during a training mission in Lithuania. — People lined up outside Tezak Funeral Home in Joliet on April 18 for the funeral procession for U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jose Dueñez Jr. (Felix Sarver)

Duenez was among four soldiers who died after their armored vehicle sunk into a Lithuanian bog during a training mission on March 25.

He was 25.

“Our community is heartbroken, and we mourn the loss of this young man, particularly for his family who will miss him immensely,” D’Arcy said.

Duenez grew up in Joliet in a family of six children. He leaves behind a wife and a 1-year-old son.