II 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1026 

To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Augusta, 

Georgia, as the ‘‘Charlie Norwood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 29, 2007 

Mr. CHAMBLISS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

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, 

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress finds the following: 

5 (1) Charlie Norwood volunteered for service in 

6 the United States Army Dental Corps in a time of 

7 war, providing dental and medical services in the Re8 public of Vietnam in 1968, earning the Combat 

9 Medical Badge and two awards of the Bronze Star. 

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1 (2) Captain Norwood, under combat conditions, 

2 helped develop the Dental Corps operating proce3 dures, that are now standard, of delivering dentists 

4 to forward-fire bases, and providing dental treat5 ment for military service dogs. 

6 (3) Captain Norwood provided dental, emer7 gency medical, and surgical care for United States 

8 personnel, Vietnamese civilians, and prisoners-of9 war. 

10 (4) Dr. Norwood provided military dental care 

11 at Fort Gordon, Georgia, following his service in 

12 Vietnam, then provided private-practice dental care 

13 for the next 25 years for patients in the greater Au14 gusta, Georgia, area, including care for military per15 sonnel, retirees, and dependents under Department 

16 of Defense programs and for low-income patients 

17 under Georgia Medicaid. 

18 (5) Congressman Norwood, upon being sworn 

19 into the United States House of Representatives in 

20 1995, pursued the advancement of health and dental 

21 care for active duty and retired military personnel 

22 and dependents, and for veterans, through his public 

23 advocacy for strengthened Federal support for mili24 tary and veterans’ health care programs and facili25 ties. 

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1 (6) Congressman Norwood co-authored and 

2 helped pass into law the Keep our Promises to 

3 America’s Military Retirees Act, which restored life4 time healthcare benefits to veterans who are military 

5 retirees through the creation of the Department of 

6 Defense TRICARE for Life Program. 

7 (7) Congressman Norwood supported and 

8 helped pass into law the Retired Pay Restoration 

9 Act providing relief from the concurrent receipt rule 

10 penalizing disabled veterans who were also military 

11 retirees. 

12 (8) Throughout his congressional service from 

13 1995 to 2007, Congressman Norwood repeatedly de14 feated attempts to reduce Federal support for the 

15 Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in 

16 Augusta, Georgia, and succeeded in maintaining and 

17 increasing Federal funding for the center. 

18 (9) Congressman Norwood maintained a life 

19 membership in the American Legion, the Veterans of 

20 Foreign Wars, and the Military Order of the World 

21 Wars. 

22 (10) Congressman Norwood’s role in protecting 

23 and improving military and veteran’s health care 

24 was recognized by the Association of the United 

25 States Army through the presentation of the Cocklin 

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1 Award in 1998, and through his induction into the 

2 Association’s Audie Murphy Society in 1999. 

3 SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF CHARLIE NORWOOD DEPART4 MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CEN5 TER. 

6 (a) DESIGNATION.—The Department of Veterans Af7 fairs Medical Center located at 1 Freedom Way in Au8 gusta, Georgia, shall after the date of the enactment of 

9 this Act be known and designated as the ‘‘Charlie Nor10 wood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center’’. 

11 (b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in any law, regula12 tion, map, document, record, or other paper of the United 

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

14 shall be considered to be a reference to the Charlie Nor15 wood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. 

Æ 

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