IIB 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1808 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 24, 2007 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

AN ACT 

To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical 

Center in Augusta, Georgia, as the ‘‘Charlie Norwood 

Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center’’. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) Charlie Norwood volunteered for service in 

4 the United States Army Dental Corps in a time of 

5 war, providing dental and medical services in the Re6 public of Vietnam in 1968, earning the Combat 

7 Medical Badge and two awards of the Bronze Star. 

8 (2) Captain Norwood, under combat conditions, 

9 helped develop the Dental Corps operating proce10 dures, that are now standard, of delivering dentists 

11 to forward-fire bases, and providing dental treat12 ment for military service dogs. 

13 (3) Captain Norwood provided dental, emer14 gency medical, and surgical care for United States 

15 personnel, Vietnamese civilians, and prisoners-of16 war. 

17 (4) Dr. Norwood provided military dental care 

18 at Fort Gordon, Georgia, following his service in 

19 Vietnam, then provided private-practice dental care 

20 for the next 25 years for patients in the greater Au21 gusta, Georgia, area, including care for military per22 sonnel, retirees, and dependents under Department 

23 of Defense programs and for low-income patients 

24 under Georgia Medicaid. 

25 (5) Congressman Norwood, upon being sworn 

26 into the United States House of Representatives in 


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1 1995, pursued the advancement of health and dental 

2 care for active duty and retired military personnel 

3 and dependents, and for veterans, through his public 

4 advocacy for strengthened Federal support for mili5 tary and veterans’ health care programs and facili6 ties. 

7 (6) Congressman Norwood co-authored and 

8 helped pass into law the Keep our Promises to 

9 America’s Military Retirees Act, which restored life10 time healthcare benefits to veterans who are military 

11 retirees through the creation of the Department of 

12 Defense TRICARE for Life Program. 

13 (7) Congressman Norwood supported and 

14 helped pass into law the Retired Pay Restoration 

15 Act providing relief from the concurrent receipt rule 

16 penalizing disabled veterans who were also military 

17 retirees. 

18 (8) Throughout his congressional service from 

19 1995 to 2007, Congressman Norwood repeatedly de20 feated attempts to reduce Federal support for the 

21 Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in 

22 Augusta, Georgia, and succeeded in maintaining and 

23 increasing Federal funding for the center. 

24 (9) Congressman Norwood maintained a life 

25 membership in the American Legion, the Veterans of 


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1 Foreign Wars, and the Military Order of the World 

2 Wars. 

3 (10) Congressman Norwood’s role in protecting 

4 and improving military and veteran’s health care 

5 was recognized by the Association of the United 

6 States Army through the presentation of the Cocklin 

7 Award in 1998, and through his induction into the 

8 Association’s Audie Murphy Society in 1999. 

9 SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF CHARLIE NORWOOD DEPART10 MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CEN11 TER. 

12 (a) DESIGNATION.—The Department of Veterans Af13 fairs Medical Center located at 1 Freedom Way in Au14 gusta, Georgia, shall after the date of the enactment of 

15 this Act be known and designated as the ‘‘Charlie Nor16 wood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center’’. 

17 (b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in any law, regula18 tion, map, document, record, or other paper of the United 

19 States to the medical center referred to in subsection (a) 


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1 shall be considered to be a reference to the Charlie Nor2 wood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. 

Passed the House of Representatives October 23, 

2007. 

Attest: LORRAINE C. MILLER, 

Clerk. 


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