117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3369 

AN ACT 

To designate the medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, as the 

‘‘Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta 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. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Max Cleland VA Med3 ical Center Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) Joseph Maxwell Cleland was born August 

7 24, 1942, in Atlanta, Georgia, the child of Juanita 

8 Kesler Cleland and Joseph Hughie Cleland, a World 

9 War II veteran, and grew up in Lithonia, Georgia. 

10 (2) Joseph Maxwell Cleland graduated from 

11 Stetson University in Florida in 1964, and received 

12 his Master’s Degree in history from Emory Univer13 sity in Atlanta, Georgia. 

14 (3) Following his graduation from Stetson Uni15 versity, Joseph Maxwell Cleland received a Second 

16 Lieutenant’s Commission in the Army through its 

17 Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program. 

18 (4) Joseph Maxwell Cleland volunteered for 

19 duty in the Vietnam War in 1967, serving with the 

20 1st Cavalry Division. 

21 (5) On April 8, 1968, during combat at the 

22 mountain base at Khe Sanh, Joseph Maxwell 

23 Cleland was gravely injured by the blast of a gre24 nade, eventually losing both his legs and right arm. 
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1 (6) Joseph Maxwell Cleland was awarded the 

2 Bronze Star for meritorious service and the Silver 

3 Star for gallantry in action. 

4 (7) In 1970, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elect5 ed to the Georgia Senate as the youngest member 

6 and the only Vietnam veteran, where he served until 

7 1975. 

8 (8) As a Georgia State Senator, Joseph Max9 well Cleland authored and advanced legislation to 

10 ensure access to public facilities in Georgia for elder11 ly and handicapped individuals. 

12 (9) In 1976, Joseph Maxwell Cleland began 

13 serving as a staffer on the Committee on Veterans’ 

14 Affairs of the United States Senate. 

15 (10) In 1977, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was ap16 pointed by President Jimmy Carter to lead the Vet17 erans Administration. 

18 (11) He was the youngest Administrator of the 

19 Veterans Administration ever and the first Vietnam 

20 veteran to head the agency. 

21 (12) He served as a champion for veterans and 

22 led the Veterans Administration to recognize, and 

23 begin to treat, post-traumatic stress disorder in vet24 erans suffering the invisible wounds of war. 
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1 (13) Joseph Maxwell Cleland was elected in 

2 1982 as Secretary of State of Georgia, the youngest 

3 individual to hold the office, and served in that posi4 tion for 14 years. 

5 (14) In 1996, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was 

6 elected to the United States Senate representing 

7 Georgia. 

8 (15) As a member of the Committee on Armed 

9 Services, Joseph Maxwell Cleland advocated for 

10 Georgia’s military bases, members of the Armed 

11 Forces, and veterans, including by championing key 

12 personnel issues, playing a critical role in the effort 

13 to allow members of the Armed Forces to pass their 

14 GI Bill education benefits to their children, and es15 tablishing a new veterans cemetery in Canton, Geor16 gia. 

17 (16) In 2002, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was ap18 pointed to the 9/11 Commission. 

19 (17) In 2003, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was ap20 pointed by President George W. Bush to the Board 

21 of Directors for the Export-Import Bank of the 

22 United States, where he served until 2007. 

23 (18) In 2009, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was ap24 pointed by President Barack Obama as Secretary of 

25 the American Battle Monuments Commission over-
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1 seeing United States military cemeteries and monu2 ments overseas, where he served until 2017. 

3 (19) In 2010, Joseph Maxwell Cleland was ap4 pointed Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Ar5 lington National Cemetery, where he served until 

6 2017. 

7 (20) Joseph Maxwell Cleland authored three 

8 books: Strong at the Broken Places, Going for the 

9 Max: 12 Principles for Living Life to the Fullest, 

10 and Heart of a Patriot. 

11 (21) Joseph Maxwell Cleland received numerous 

12 honors and awards over the course of his long and 

13 distinguished career. 

14 (22) Joseph Maxwell Cleland was a patriot, vet15 eran, and lifelong civil servant who proudly served 

16 Georgia, the United States, and all veterans and 

17 members of the Armed Forces of the United States. 

18 (23) On November 9, 2021, at the age of 79, 

19 Joseph Maxwell Cleland died, leaving behind a leg20 acy of service, sacrifice, and joy. 

21 SEC. 3. JOSEPH MAXWELL CLELAND ATLANTA DEPART22 MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CEN23 TER. 

24 (a) DESIGNATION.—The medical center of the De25 partment of Veterans Affairs in metropolitan Atlanta, 
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1 Georgia, shall after the date of the enactment of this Act 

2 be known and designated as the ‘‘Joseph Maxwell Cleland 

3 Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center’’ 

4 or the ‘‘Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Cen5 ter’’. 

6 (b) REFERENCE.—Any reference in a law, regulation, 

7 map, document, paper, or other record of the United 

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

9 shall be deemed to be a reference to the Joseph Maxwell 

10 Cleland Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical 

11 Center. 

Passed the Senate July 28, 2022. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3369 

AN ACT 

To designate the medical center of the Department 

Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center’’. Georgia, as the ‘‘Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta of Veterans Affairs in metropolitan Atlanta,