Legislation to rename the Lynchburg VA Clinic passed the U.S. House of Representatives Monday in a voice vote and is now headed to the president’s desk for signature.
The legislation was introduced by U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia.
If signed by President Joe Biden, the clinic would be named after Private First Class Desmond T. Doss, a highly revered Medal of Honor recipient from Lynchburg who saved dozens of lives in World War II.
“Private First Class Desmond Doss was a true American hero. Renaming the Lynchburg VA Clinic after him is a fitting tribute to a man who demonstrated unwavering commitment to his fellow soldiers and to his country. We are proud to see this legislation head to the president’s desk to be signed into law so that future generations of Virginians can be reminded of and inspired by Desmond Doss’ bravery and service,” the senators said.
Doss was born in Lynchburg and inducted into the U.S. Army in April of 1942 after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. As a Seventh-Day Adventist, Doss could have tried to refuse enlistment on grounds of being a conscientious objector, but he enlisted as a self-described “conscientious cooperator,” going on to pursue medical roles in the U.S. Army.
While serving with his platoon in 1944 in Guam and the Philippines, Doss was awarded two Bronze Star Medals for exceptional valor in aiding wounded soldiers under fire. During the Battle of Okinawa, he saved the lives of 75 wounded infantrymen atop the area known by the 96th Division as the Maeda Escarpment or Hacksaw Ridge, an act of heroism that earned him a Medal of Honor, awarded by President Harry Truman.
Doss was wounded four times in Okinawa, and was evacuated on May 21, 1945, aboard the USS Mercy and brought to Hawaii.
The legislation to rename the local VA clinic passed the U.S. Senate in August 2024 with the support of a number of veterans organizations and groups.
U.S. Rep. Bob Good of Virginia sponsored the legislation in the U.S. House.
Doss died in 2006. He was 87 years old.
Related stories:
‘He was just my dad’: Sons of World War II soldiers speak on the heroes within their fathers
Bill to rename Lynchburg VA Clinic for World War II hero passes Senate
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Rebecca Barnabi
