Public Law 118 - 76 - An act to rename the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Butte, Montana, as the "Charlie Dowd VA Clinic".

[118th Congress Public Law 76]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 138 STAT. 1508]]

Public Law 118-76
118th Congress

                                 An Act


 
  To rename the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of 
      Veterans Affairs in Butte, Montana, as the ``Charlie Dowd VA 
             Clinic''. <<NOTE: July 30, 2024 -  [S. 3285]>> 

    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) Charles ``Charlie'' Arthur Dowd was born on December 23, 
        1923, in Rochester, New York.
            (2) In January 1941, during his senior year of high school, 
        Charlie enlisted for service at sea in the Navy, where he was 
        trained as a radioman and later stationed at Pearl Harbor, 
        Hawaii.
            (3) On December 7, 1941, just after completing a night 
        shift, Charlie and United States Naval forces positioned at 
        Pearl Harbor came under attack by more than 300 enemy aircraft 
        belonging to the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service.
            (4) During the attack on the heart of the United States 
        Pacific Fleet, which would severely damage 21 ships and claim 
        the lives of 2,400 Americans, Charlie emerged in only his t-
        shirt and trousers and sprinted from the barracks to the armory, 
        where he climbed to the roof with a .30-06 Springfield rifle to 
        fire at the Japanese pilots of low-flying torpedo bombers.
            (5) Following his bravery at Pearl Harbor, Charlie would go 
        on to continue serving the Navy in both the Solomon Islands and 
        New Guinea, where his fellow shipmates would give him the 
        nickname of ``Devil Dog Dowd'', for his unwavering willingness 
        to volunteer for the most dangerous mission assignments.
            (6) During the course of his service in the Navy, Charlie 
        was awarded seven Bronze Star Medals.
            (7) After Charlie received an honorable discharge from the 
        Navy, he returned to the United States, where he worked in 
        masonry and carpentry construction, before completing his degree 
        at the University of Florida. Upon graduation, he spent the next 
        18 years passing on his knowledge of industrial arts and 
        drafting to high school students.
            (8) In 1984, as an avid sportsman with a passion for the 
        outdoors, Charlie later relocated to Anaconda, Montana.
            (9) Charlie was a vibrant and cherished member of the local 
        community in Anaconda, where he became the Secretary of the 
        Anaconda Sportsmen's Club and the Outdoor Writer for the 
        Anaconda Leader newspaper.
            (10) Charlie was forever an advocate for his fellow veterans 
        and dedicated to preserving the memory of the events of World

[[Page 138 STAT. 1509]]

        War II and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their 
        country. Until his dying days, Charlie was an active member of 
        the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association and loved speaking for 
        civic groups and museums across Montana.
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF CHARLIE DOWD VA CLINIC.

    (a) Designation.--The community-based outpatient clinic of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs in Butte, Montana, shall after the date 
of the enactment of this Act be known and designated as the ``Charlie 
Dowd Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic'' or the ``Charlie Dowd VA 
Clinic''.
    (b) Reference.--Any reference in any law, regulation, map, document, 
paper, or other record of the United States to the community-based 
outpatient clinic referred to in subsection (a) shall be considered to 
be a reference to the Charlie Dowd VA Clinic.

    Approved July 30, 2024.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 3285:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 170 (2024):
            May 2, considered and passed Senate.
            July 22, considered and passed House.

                                  <all>