I 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6722 

To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient 

clinic in French Camp, California, as the ‘‘Richard A. Pittman VA Clinic’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 15, 2022 

Mr. MCNERNEY (for himself and Mr. HARDER of California) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs communitybased outpatient clinic in French Camp, California, as 

the ‘‘Richard A. Pittman VA Clinic’’. 

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 finds the following: 

5 (1) Richard A. Pittman was born on May 26, 

6 1945, in French Camp, California. 

7 (2) Richard A. Pittman enlisted in the Marine 

8 Corps in 1965 and was later promoted to Lance 

9 Corporal. 


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•HR 6722 IH

1 (3) On July 24, 1966, Lance Corporal Pitt2 man’s unit, First Platoon, Company I, Third Bat3 talion, Fifth Marines, was moving along a trail near 

4 the Demilitarized Zone in the Republic of Vietnam 

5 when the Marines ahead of them came under attack. 

6 (4) Upon hearing the attack, Lance Corporal 

7 Pittman took a machine gun and several belts of 

8 ammunition and rushed to aid his comrades. As he 

9 advanced, Lance Corporal Pittman encountered in10 tense small-arms fire at point-blank range. He was 

11 able to return fire and silence the enemy combat12 ants. Continuing towards the attacked Marines, 

13 Lance Corporal Pittman came under heavy fire from 

14 two automatic weapons, which he was able to de15 stroy. 

16 (5) When Lance Corporal Pittman learned 

17 there were additional wounded Marines further 

18 along the trail, he endured enemy mortar and gun19 fire to get to them. As he reached them, he faced 

20 an attack by 30 to 40 enemy fighters. 

21 (6) Lance Corporal Pittman used a combination 

22 of machine-gun fire, an enemy submachine gun, a 

23 pistol from a fallen comrade, and a grenade to cause 

24 enemy forces to withdraw. Due to his courageous ac25 tions, many of his wounded comrades were saved. 


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•HR 6722 IH

1 (7) In recognition of his bravery that day, Rich2 ard A. Pittman, who was then a Sergeant, was 

3 awarded the Medal of Honor by President Lyndon 

4 B. Johnson on May 14, 1968. 

5 (8) Richard A. Pittman retired in 1988 as a 

6 Master Sergeant, after having served in the Marine 

7 Corps for more than two decades. 

8 SEC. 2. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 

9 COMMUNITY-BASED OUTPATIENT CLINIC, 

10 FRENCH CAMP, CALIFORNIA. 

11 (a) DESIGNATION.—The Department of Veterans Af12 fairs community-based outpatient clinic in French Camp, 

13 California, shall after the date of the enactment of this 

14 Act be known and designated as the ‘‘Richard A. Pittman 

15 VA Clinic’’. 

16 (b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in a law, map, reg17 ulation, document, paper, or other record of the United 

18 States to the clinic referred to in subsection (a) shall be 

19 deemed to be a reference to the ‘‘Richard A. Pittman VA 

20 Clinic’’. 

Æ 


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