[Pages H7174-H7175]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             PRIVATE FIRST CLASS DESMOND T. DOSS VA CLINIC

  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(S. 3938) to designate the community-based outpatient clinic of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs in Lynchburg, Virginia, as the ``Private 
First Class Desmond T. Doss VA Clinic''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 3938

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF PRIVATE FIRST CLASS DESMOND T. DOSS 
                   VA CLINIC IN LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA.

       (a) In General.--The community-based outpatient clinic of 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs in Lynchburg, Virginia, 
     shall after the date of the enactment of this Act be known 
     and designated as the ``Private First Class Desmond T. Doss 
     VA Clinic''.
       (b) Reference.--Any reference in any law, regulation, map, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     clinic referred to in subsection (a) shall be considered to 
     be a reference to the Private First Class Desmond T. Doss VA 
     Clinic.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on S. 
3938.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of S. 3938, a bill that designates the 
community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
in Lynchburg, Virginia, as the Private First Class Desmond T. Doss VA 
Clinic.
  Desmond T. Doss was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, in 1919 and enlisted 
in the U.S. Army in 1942 after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
  In 1944, he took part in both the Battle of Guam and the Battle of 
the Philippines, serving as a medic in the 77th Infantry Division. 
While serving in those battles, he earned two Bronze Stars for 
exceptional valor in assisting wounded soldiers while under fire.
  In 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, PFC Doss saved an estimated 75 
wounded men atop the infamous Hacksaw Ridge. For his heroism, he was 
awarded the Medal of Honor by President Truman.
  After the war, he raised a son with his wife, Dorothy, on a small 
farm in Georgia.
  PFC Doss remains a testament to the American spirit and an example of 
going above and beyond to answer the call of duty.
  By naming the VA clinic after him, his story of service will be told 
for generations of Americans.
  I thank the sponsor of the bill, Senator Warner, as well as the 
entire Virginia delegation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 3938, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for S. 3938, a bill to 
designate the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient 
clinic in Lynchburg, Virginia, as the Private First Class Desmond T. 
Doss VA Clinic. I thank my colleague Senator Warner for introducing it.
  Private First Class Doss served with extraordinary courage during 
many of World War II's fiercest battles. His actions saved the lives of 
hundreds of his fellow soldiers, despite never being an active 
combatant, and his story is nothing short of heroic. I am proud to 
support this bill to honor his service.
  The son of a decorated World War I veteran, Mr. Doss was raised in 
Lynchburg, Virginia, as a devout Seventh-day Adventist. A cornerstone 
of his faith was pacificism, but despite this, he enlisted into the 
Army in April of 1942 following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
  During our Nation's darkest hour, he made the patriotic decision to 
balance his religious belief in nonviolence with a calling to protect 
his Nation by pursuing a nonarmed role as an Army medic. Assigned to 
2nd Platoon, Company B, 1st Battalion, 307th Infantry Division, Private 
First Class Doss soon found himself in some of the Pacific theater's 
most intense combat. Notably, he was awarded two Bronze Star

[[Page H7175]]

Medals for exceptional valor in Guam and the Philippines, aiding 
wounded soldiers under fire.
  Private First Class Doss and the members of the 77th Infantry 
Division were assigned a major role during the Battle of Okinawa in 
1945, the bloodiest conflict in the Pacific. The nearly 3-month-long 
battle resulted in roughly 49,000 American casualties, including 13,000 
servicemembers who were killed in action.
  Private First Class Doss demonstrated extraordinary heroism during 
the Battle of Okinawa, saving upwards of over 100 soldiers over the 
course of the conflict while routinely placing himself in the line of 
fire. Many of the casualties he saved were during operations during the 
notorious Maeda Escarpment, commonly called Hacksaw Ridge.
  Time and again in the conflict, Private First Class Doss exposed 
himself to heavy rifle and mortar fire to provide aid to wounded 
soldiers and evacuate them to safety.
  Even when Private First Class Doss sustained his own injuries, he 
never gave up on providing aid to his fellow soldiers. While tending to 
wounded soldiers during a night raid, Private First Class Doss was 
seriously wounded in the legs from a grenade blast. To avoid having 
another medic risk his life to save him, he valiantly cared for his own 
wounds and waited 5 hours before a medical evacuation team could reach 
him.
  Noticing a critically wounded soldier nearby, Private First Class 
Doss crawled off the litter he was laying on and ensured his evacuation 
team cared for that man first. In all, Private First Class Doss saved 
the lives of 75 wounded infantrymen.
  For his tremendous bravery and heroism, Private First Class Doss was 
awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman on October 12, 
1945.
  The immense courage, sacrifice, and patriotism that Private First 
Class Doss displayed while serving in the Pacific theater are in many 
ways unfathomable.
  As a nation, we owe him a debt of gratitude that can never be fully 
repaid, but we should commit to honoring his legacy. I can think of no 
better way to ensure that his service is remembered for generations to 
come.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this important piece of legislation, and I ask 
that my colleagues do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Good).
  Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I proudly support the legislation 
to name the Lynchburg, Virginia, VA Clinic after Private First Class 
Desmond T. Doss, a World War II hero and Medal of Honor recipient.
  This bill, S. 3938, is the Senate companion following and 
complementing my original legislation, and I thank Senator Warner for 
joining me in championing this cause.

  Desmond Doss is greatly admired in my district, and in May of 2023 at 
the request of some of my constituents, I introduced a bill to rename 
the Lynchburg VA Clinic after him in honor of his outstanding legacy.
  It is fitting for the building that provides healthcare services to 
our Nation's heroes to be named after one who dedicated his military 
career to saving as many lives as possible.
  A devout Seventh-day Adventist, Doss believed that killing in all 
circumstances was wrong, nevertheless, he still chose to serve his 
country as a medic in the United States Army when called upon during 
World War II.
  Doss proved his heroism in battle and under fire and became the first 
conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor after 
fearlessly saving 75 wounded men in the Battle of Okinawa.
  As the Medal of Honor citation describes: ``Doss refused to seek 
cover and remained in the fire-swept area with the many stricken, 
carrying them one by one to the edge of the escarpment and there 
lowering them on a rope-supported litter down the face of a cliff to 
friendly hands.''
  The citation describes many more instances where Doss disregarded his 
own personal safety to protect others.
  Many Americans saw his story depicted in the popular 2016 movie 
``Hacksaw Ridge.''
  His extraordinary bravery was true faith in action. Although he 
didn't have to pay the ultimate price in battle, he lived the words of 
Jesus in the Gospel of John: Greater love has no one than this: to lay 
down one's life for one's friends.
  Doss' humble beginnings were in my district, in Lynchburg, Virginia, 
and Lynchburg has always loved him. In 1945, the city threw a parade in 
his honor, but it has been nearly 80 years since then, and Lynchburg 
wants another opportunity to celebrate one of our most heroic citizens.
  Today, if the House passes this bill, it will be sent to the 
President's desk, and this Congress will have done a small thing to 
honor a great man. I trust my colleagues will join me in voting 
``yes.''
  In conclusion, I thank the entire Virginia delegation for uniting 
behind this bill. I would especially like to thank Steve Bozeman, my 
veteran constituent, who came to me with this idea. Steve Bozeman leads 
a weekly gathering to support the troops in Lynchburg, Virginia, and 
this group of mostly veterans has met without fail every Friday for 
more than 20 years, so well over 1,000 consecutive Fridays to honor our 
veterans and our military servicemembers.
  Finally, I express my gratitude for the sacrifices made by all 
veterans and servicemembers who fought to keep our Nation safe. Mr. 
Speaker, it has been a privilege to represent them in Congress.

                              {time}  1700

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in 
passing S. 3938 to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs 
community-based outpatient clinic in Lynchburg, Virginia, as the 
Private First Class Desmond T. Doss VA Clinic, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members to support this 
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, S. 3938.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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