H. R. 3475 

One Hundred Seventeenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE FIRST SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, 

the fourth day of January, two thousand and twenty-one 

An Act 

To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic 

in Columbus, Georgia, as the ‘‘Robert S. Poydasheff VA Clinic’’. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

Congress makes the following findings: 

(1) Former Columbus, Georgia, Mayor Robert S. Poydasheff 

died on September 24, 2020. 

(2) He earned a B.A. in Political Science from the Citadel 

in 1954, a J.D. from Tulane University Law School in 1957, 

an M.A. in International Relations from Boston University’s 

Graduate Program in Berlin, Germany, in 1967, and attended 

the Hague Academy of International Law in the Netherlands 

in preparation for a military and subsequent civilian career 

that focused on serving others. 

(3) In 1955, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant 

in the Infantry Branch of the United States Army, and he 

was reassigned to the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. 

(4) He was a 1976 graduate of the United States Army 

War College and served a total of 24 years, retiring as a 

Colonel in 1979. 

(5) He was decorated with the Legion of Merit with two 

Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star Medal, and Vietnam Ribbon 

with Four Battle Stars, and during his military career and 

because of his expert legal acumen he was assigned to work 

on the biggest cases of the time in which he served, but during 

this he never lost sight of what he considered his primary 

role, which was to take care of soldiers. 

(6) Robert S. Poydasheff was appointed as legal counsel 

to the Secretary of the Army and served the needs of all 

soldiers by helping to shape Army policy. 

(7) In 2012, the Army War College Foundation named 

Colonel Poydasheff an Outstanding Alumnus in recognition 

of his wide-ranging service to his community after his retirement from active duty. 

(8) Colonel Poydasheff served on the Columbus, Georgia 

City Council from 1994 to 2002, helping all citizens of the 

community he had come to love while concurrently serving 

Fort Benning and his beloved soldiers. 

(9) He was elected Mayor of Columbus, Georgia, in 2002, 

served a four-year term and maintained a focus on communitybased programs as well as strengthening the relationship 

between the city and Fort Benning. 
H. R. 3475—2 

(10) During that time he made great contributions to the 

joint military and civilian communities of Columbus, Georgia, 

and Fort Benning, appointing first a fellow soldier and later 

the first African American to the City Manager position, while 

knowing that doing so would be at his own political peril. 

(11) After his service as Mayor of Columbus, Georgia, 

Robert S. Poydasheff found continued success as a practicing 

lawyer helping countless citizens and soldiers living in the 

city he once led as well as advocating for many soldiers in 

the area. 

(12) His continued interest in the betterment of the city 

as well as his contributions to the Veterans Action Committee 

has a continued impact to this day. 

(13) He served as past president of the Chattahoochee 

Council Boy Scouts of America, past president of the Chattahoochee Valley Association of the United Sates Army, past president of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, member of the 

Board of Directors of the Springer Opera Arts Association, 

past president of the Ann Elizabeth Shepherd Home, and 

member of the Kiwanis Club and Columbus Bar Association. 

SEC. 2. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMUNITYBASED OUTPATIENT CLINIC, COLUMBUS, GEORGIA. 

The Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Columbus, Georgia, shall after the date of the 

enactment of this Act be known and designated as the ‘‘Robert 

S. Poydasheff VA Clinic’’. Any reference to such clinic in any law, 

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

States shall be considered to be a reference to the Robert S. 

Poydasheff VA Clinic. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.