IIB 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 609 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
FEBRUARY 14, 2017 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
AN ACT 
To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs health care 
center in Center Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, 
as the ‘‘Abie Abraham VA Clinic’’. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Abie Abraham of Lyndora, Pennsylvania, 
was stationed during World War II with the 18th 
Infantry in New York; 3 years with the 14th Infan-
try in Panama; 15th Infantry, unassigned in China, 
while the U.S.S. Panay was sunk; 30th Infantry, 
Presidio, San Francisco; and the 31st Infantry, Ma-
nila, Philippines, for 9 years. 
(2) During World War II, Abraham fought, was 
captured, endured the Bataan Death March and as 
a prisoner of war for 31⁄2 years, was beaten, stabbed, 
shot, survived malaria and starvation to be rescued 
by the 6th Rangers. 
(3) Abraham stayed behind at the request of 
General Douglas MacArthur for 21⁄2 more years 
disinterring the bodies of his fallen comrades from 
the Bataan Death March and the prison camps, 
helping to identify their bodies and see that they 
were properly laid to rest. 
(4) After his promotion in 1945, Abraham 
came back to the United States where he served as 
a recruiter and then also served 2 years in Germany 
until his retirement with 30 years of service as a 
Master Sergeant. 
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(5) Abraham received numerous medals for his 
service, including the Purple Heart, and had several 
documentaries on the Discovery Channel and His-
tory Channel. 
(6) Abraham wrote the books ‘‘Ghost of Bataan 
Speaks’’ in 1971 and ‘‘Oh, God, Where Are You’’ in 
1977 to help the public better understand what our 
brave men endured at the hands of the Imperial 
Japanese Army as prisoners of war. 
(7) Abraham was a life member of the Veterans 
of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Purple 
Heart Combat/Infantry Organization, the American 
Ex-POWs, the Disabled American Veterans, and the 
American Defenders of Bataan. 
(8) Abraham was a volunteer at Veterans Af-
fairs Butler Healthcare for 23 years from 1988 to 
2011 and had 36,851 service hours caring for our 
veterans. 
SEC. 2. ABIE ABRAHAM VA CLINIC. 
(a) DESIGNATION.—The Department of Veterans Af-
fairs health care center in Center Township, Butler Coun-
ty, Pennsylvania, shall after the date of the enactment of 
this Act be known and designated as the ‘‘Abie Abraham 
VA Clinic’’. 
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(b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in any law, regula-
tion, map, document, paper, or other record of the United 
States to the health care center referred to in subsection 
(a) shall be deemed to be a reference to the ‘‘Abie Abra-
ham VA Clinic’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives February 13, 
2017. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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