An Act To rename the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Butte, Montana, as the “Charlie Dowd VA Clinic”.

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 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.