[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5597 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5597

 To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient 
clinic in Bloomington, Illinois, as the ``Andrew Jackson Smith Medal of 
             Honor Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 20, 2023

  Mr. LaHood introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient 
clinic in Bloomington, Illinois, as the ``Andrew Jackson Smith Medal of 
             Honor Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic''.

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

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Color Sergeant Andrew Jackson Smith of the 55th 
        Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, formerly of the 41st Illinois 
        Infantry Regiment, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor 
        for his heroic actions in the Civil War.
            (2) His Medal of Honor citation reads ``Corporal Andrew 
        Jackson Smith, of Clinton, Illinois, a member of the 55th 
        Massachusetts Voluntary Infantry, distinguished himself on 30 
        November 1864 by saving his regimental colors, after the color 
        bearer was killed during a bloody charge at the Battle of Honey 
        Hill, South Carolina. In the late afternoon, as the 55th 
        Regiment pursued enemy skirmishers and conducted a running 
        fight, they ran into a swampy area backed by a rise where the 
        Confederate Army awaited. The surrounding woods and thick 
        underbrush impeded infantry movement and artillery support. The 
        55th and 54th regiments formed columns to advance to the enemy 
        position in a flanking movement. As the Confederates repelled 
        other units, the 55th and 54th regiments continued to move into 
        flanking positions. Forced into a narrow gorge crossing a swamp 
        in the face of the enemy positions, the 55th's Color-Sergeant 
        was killed by an exploding shell, and Corporal Smith took the 
        Regimental Colors from his hand and carried them through heavy 
        grape and canister fire. Although half of the officers and a 
        third of the enlisted men engaged in the fight were killed or 
        wounded, Corporal Smith continued to expose himself to the 
        enemy fire by carrying the colors throughout the battle. 
        Through his actions, the Regimental Colors of the 55th Infantry 
        Regiment were not lost to the enemy. Corporal Andrew Jackson 
        Smith's extraordinary valor in the face of deadly enemy fire is 
        in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and 
        reflect great credit upon him, the 55th Regiment, and the 
        United States Army.''.

SEC. 2. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMUNITY-BASED 
              OUTPATIENT CLINIC, BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

     The Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient 
clinic located at 207 Hamilton Road, Bloomington, Illinois, shall after 
the date of enactment of this Act be known and designated as the 
``Andrew Jackson Smith Medal of Honor Department of Veterans Affairs 
Clinic''. Any reference to such clinic in any law, regulation, map, 
document, record, or other paper of the United States shall be 
considered to be a reference to the Andrew Jackson Smith Medal of Honor 
Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic.
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