I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 558 

To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Big 

Spring, Texas, as the George H. O’Brien, Jr., Department of Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 8, 2011 

Mr. NEUGEBAUER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs medical 

center in Big Spring, Texas, as the George H. O’Brien, 

Jr., 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, 

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress makes the following findings: 

5 (1) George H. O’Brien, Jr., was born on Sep6 tember 10, 1926, in Fort Worth, Texas. 

7 (2) O’Brien served as a seaman in the United 

8 States Merchant Marine during the period beginning 

9 in December 1944 and ending in May 1946. 


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1 (3) While attending college at the Texas Tech2 nological College (now known as ‘‘Texas Tech Uni3 versity’’), O’Brien enlisted in the United States Ma4 rine Corps Reserve in July 1949. 

5 (4) After graduating from college in 1950, 

6 O’Brien was ordered to active duty and departed for 

7 Korea in September 1952. 

8 (5) Following his discharge from the service, 

9 O’Brien settled in Big Spring, Texas, to raise his 

10 family. 

11 (6) O’Brien often participated in volunteer pro12 grams at the Department of Veterans Affairs med13 ical center in Big Spring, Texas. 

14 (7) O’Brien was awarded the Medal of Honor, 

15 the highest honor in the United States awarded for 

16 valor to members of the Armed Forces, for his ac17 tions during the Battle for the Hook, on October 27, 

18 1952, in Korea for conspicuous gallantry and intre19 pidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the 

20 call of duty as a rifle platoon commander of Com21 pany H, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Divi22 sion (Reinforced). 

23 (8) Although wounded several times during in24 tense fighting to regain a vitally important hill posi25 tion on the main line of resistance, then-Second 


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1 Lieutenant O’Brien bravely led his platoon into 

2 deadly small arms, artillery, and mortar fire against 

3 a numerically superior force. 

4 (9) During the battle, O’Brien repeatedly en5 gaged the enemy at close range, killing at least 3 

6 enemy soldiers, eventually securing the position until 

7 relieved. 

8 (10) In addition to being awarded the Medal of 

9 Honor during his service in Korea, O’Brien received 

10 2 Purple Heart Medals for wounds received during 

11 combat, the Korean Service Medal with 2 bronze 

12 stars, the United Nations Service Medal, and several 

13 other military honors. 

14 (11) O’Brien was awarded the Medal of Honor 

15 personally by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and 

16 is the only Medal of Honor recipient from Big 

17 Spring, Texas. 

18 (12) Upon his release from the United States 

19 Marine Corps, O’Brien began a career as a petro20 leum geologist in Texas and served on the Marine 

21 Corps Scholarship Foundation and the Medal of 

22 Honor Society. 

23 (13) O’Brien died on March 11, 2005, in Mid24 land, Texas. 


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1 SEC. 2. GEORGE H. O’BRIEN, JR., DEPARTMENT OF VET2 ERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER. 

3 (a) DESIGNATION.—The Department of Veterans Af4 fairs medical center located in Big Spring, Texas, shall 

5 be known and designated as the ‘‘George H. O’Brien, Jr., 

6 Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center’’. 

7 (b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in a law, map, reg8 ulation, document, paper, or other record of the United 

9 States to the Department of Veterans Affairs medical cen10 ter referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a 

11 reference to the ‘‘George H. O’Brien, Jr., Department of 

12 Veterans Affairs Medical Center’’. 

Æ 


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