To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic located in Canton, Michigan, as the "Major General Oliver W. Dillard VA Clinic".
Bill: H.R.7903 | Sponsor: Rep. Stevens, Haley M. (D-MI)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
This act designates the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Canton, Michigan, as the Major General Oliver W. Dillard VA Clinic.

[117th Congress Public Law 237]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 136 STAT. 2326]]

Public Law 117-237
117th Congress

                                 An Act


 
    To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based 
 outpatient clinic located in Canton, Michigan, as the ``Major General 
 Oliver W. Dillard VA Clinic''. <<NOTE: Dec. 20, 2022 -  [H.R. 7903]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Oliver W. Dillard was born on September 28, 1926, in 
        Margaret, Alabama.
            (2) In 1945, following basic training he was drafted and was 
        assigned to the 349th Field Artillery Group in Germany as part 
        of the World War II army of occupation. He was selected to serve 
        as company clerk and began to work his way through the ranks, 
        attaining Technical Sergeant.
            (3) Dillard successfully completed the Officer Candidate 
        School (OCS) selection process and was approved for attendance 
        at the Infantry OCS at Fort Benning in January 1947. He received 
        a commission as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry after graduating 
        from Infantry OCS in July 1947 and was the honor graduate of his 
        Infantry officers basic course.
            (4) He served in command and intelligence positions in 
        Korea, Germany, and Vietnam.
            (5) During his service, Dillard graduated from the Army 
        Command and General Staff College (CGSC) in 1958, where he was 
        one of only three Black officers in his class. After CGSC, he 
        completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Omaha 
        leveraging his earlier studies at Tuskegee Institute.
            (6) In 1965, Mr. Dillard graduated from the National War 
        College, becoming the first Black officer to do so. He graduated 
        at the top of his class.
            (7) MG Dillard's military awards include the Distinguished 
        Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Silver Star, the 
        Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star with 
        one Oak Leaf Cluster and ``V'' Device, the Purple Heart, the Air 
        Medal, the Combat Infantryman's Badge with Star (two awards), 
        the Army Staff Identification Badge, and the Vietnam 
        Distinguished Service Order (1st and 2d Class). Dillard also 
        received two civilian awards from the Republic of Vietnam, the 
        Vietnam Rural Revolutionary Development Medal and the Vietnam 
        Ethnic Development Service Medal (1st Class).

[[Page 136 STAT. 2327]]

            (8) Dillard was inducted into the United States Army's 
        Military Intelligence Hall of Fame in 2012, the Officer 
        Candidate School Hall of Fame in 2012, and the Alabama Military 
        Hall of Honor in 2013.
            (9) He died in Canton, Michigan, in 2015, and is buried in 
        Arlington National Cemetery.
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMUNITY-
                    BASED OUTPATIENT CLINIC LOCATED IN CANTON, 
                    MICHIGAN.

    (a) Designation.--The Department of Veterans Affairs community-based 
outpatient clinic located in Canton, Michigan, shall after the date of 
the enactment of this Act be known and designated as the ``Major General 
Oliver W. Dillard VA Clinic''.
    (b) References.-- Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, 
paper, or other record of the United States to the facility referred to 
in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a reference to the ``Major 
General Oliver W. Dillard VA Clinic''.

    Approved December 20, 2022.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 7903:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 168 (2022):
            Nov. 14, considered and passed House.
            Dec. 6, considered and passed Senate.

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