Title: To designate the health care system of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Lexington, Kentucky, as the "Lexington VA Health Care System" and to make certain other designations.
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
This bill designates the Department of Veterans Affairs: (1) health care system in Lexington, Kentucky, as the "Lexington VA Health Care System," (2) health care facility at 1101 Veterans Drive, Lexington, Kentucky, as the "Troy E. Bowling Campus," and (3) health care facility at 2250 Leestown Road, Lexington, Kentucky, as the "Franklin R. Sousley Campus."

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4533 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4533

   To designate the health care system of the Department of Veterans 
   Affairs in Lexington, Kentucky, as the ``Lexington VA Health Care 
            System'' and to make certain other designations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 4, 2017

    Mr. Barr (for himself, Mr. Rogers of Kentucky, Mr. Yarmuth, Mr. 
  Guthrie, Mr. Massie, and Mr. Comer) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To designate the health care system of the Department of Veterans 
   Affairs in Lexington, Kentucky, as the ``Lexington VA Health Care 
            System'' and to make certain other designations.

    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)(A) Private First Class Franklin Runyon Sousley was born 
        on September 19, 1925, in Hilltop, Kentucky. Sousley served as 
        a marine in the United States Marine Corps during the period 
        beginning on January 5, 1944, and ending March 21, 1945. 
        Sousley graduated from Fleming County High School in May 1943 
        and chose to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. Upon 
        completion of military basic training, he was assigned to 
        Company E, 2d Battalion, 28th Marines, of the 5th Marines 
        Division at Camp Pendleton, California, as an automatic 
        rifleman.
            (B) Private Sousley was promoted to a private first class 
        on November 22, 1944. Pfc. Sousley landed on Iwo Jima on 
        Friday, February 19, 1945, and actively fought in the battle 
        for the islands. During the intense fighting, members of the 
        United States Armed Forces secured Mount Suribachi and hoisted 
        a United States flag on top of the summit on February 23, 1945. 
        On February 23, 1945, Pfc. Sousley, alongside Corporal Harlon 
        Block, HM John Bradley, Pfc. Rene Gagnon, Pfc. Ira Hayes, and 
        Sergeant Michael Strank followed orders to raise a larger 
        United States flag so it could be seen over the island. The 
        iconic photograph taken of the 6 men, while they raised the 
        United States flag attached to a heavy Japanese pipe has led to 
        an immortalized symbol of American bravery, perseverance, and 
        sacrifice endured by members of the United States Armed Forces 
        during the intense battles of World War II. Pfc. Sousley was 
        killed in combat by a Japanese sniper around Kitano Point on 
        March 21, 1945.
            (C) Originally buried in the 5th Marine Division Cemetery 
        at Iwo Jima in plot 9, row 8, grave 2189, on March 22, 1945, 
        his remains were returned to the United States on May 8, 1947, 
        where he was finally laid to rest at Elizaville Cemetery in 
        Fleming County, Kentucky. Pfc. Sousley was posthumously awarded 
        the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Presidential 
        Unit Citation with \5/16\" Silver Star, the American Campaign 
        Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with \3/16\" Bronze 
        Star, and the World War II Victory Medal.
            (2)(A) Mr. Troy E. Bowling was born on July 2, 1926, in 
        Hamilton, Ohio and completed his life's service on June, 17, 
        2017, at the age of 90 years old. At age 17, Mr. Bowling began 
        his service as a United States Marine and was a proud member of 
        the Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Marines, 5th Division. 
        During the United States campaign to end the war against Japan, 
        Mr. Bowling's unit was among the first to arrive on the 
        beachheads of Iwo Jima.
            (B) While attempting to secure Mt. Suribachi, his unit came 
        under intense and concentrated fire, completely overwhelming 
        his unit. Two projectiles struck Mr. Bowling in the chest and 
        leg, leaving him critically wounded on the battlefield. At that 
        moment, Mr. Bowling said he looked to the heavens and committed 
        to serving mankind for the rest of his life if he survived.
            (C) Miraculously, a combat photographer and medical team 
        then carried Mr. Bowling to the safety of a landing craft where 
        he witnessed the planting of the American flag atop Mt. 
        Suribachi--an iconic image that persists as one of the most 
        legendary and triumphant moments of the war. The United States 
        Marines eventually took control of the island; however, this 
        victory came at a heavy cost as more than 6,800 United States 
        service members gave their lives during the battle of Iwo Jima.
            (D) In keeping faith with his commitment to God made during 
        that battle, Mr. Bowling devoted more than 78,000 hours of 
        volunteer service to others at the Lexington VA Medical Center. 
        For more than 66 years, Mr. Bowling has risen through the ranks 
        within the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) organization, 
        holding nearly every position possible, including State 
        Commander. Mr. Bowling received the George H. Seal Award for 
        outstanding volunteer, which he received at the 2005 National 
        DAV Convention in Las Vegas and the Lifetime Service 
        Achievement Award from the Department of Veteran Affairs. Mr. 
        Bowling was also nominated and selected to be inducted in the 
        Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame for his lifetime of service to 
        veterans.

SEC. 2. LEXINGTON VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.

    (a) Designation.--The health care system of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs in Lexington, Kentucky, shall after the date of the 
enactment of this Act be known and designated as the ``Lexington VA 
Health Care System''.
    (b) References.--Any reference in any law, regulation, map, 
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the health 
care system referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a 
reference to the ``Lexington VA Health Care System''.

SEC. 3. TROY E. BOWLING CAMPUS.

    (a) Designation.--The health care facility of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs located at 1101 Veterans Drive in Lexington, Kentucky, 
shall after the date of the enactment of this Act be known and 
designated as the ``Troy E. Bowling Campus''.
    (b) References.--Any reference in any law, regulation, map, 
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the health 
care facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a 
reference to the ``Troy E. Bowling Campus''.

SEC. 4. FRANKLIN R. SOUSLEY CAMPUS.

    (a) Designation.--The health care facility of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs located at 2250 Leestown Road in Lexington, Kentucky, 
shall after the date of the enactment of this Act be known and 
designated as the ``Franklin R. Sousley Campus''.
    (b) References.--Any reference in any law, regulation, map, 
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the health 
care facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a 
reference to the ``Franklin R. Sousley Campus''.
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