[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 1, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H1055-H1056]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               DANNIE A. CARR VETERANS OUTPATIENT CLINIC

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 2814) to name the Department of Veterans Affairs 
community-based outpatient clinic in Sevierville, Tennessee, the Dannie 
A. Carr Veterans Outpatient Clinic.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2814

       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) The State of Tennessee, the Volunteer State, holds a 
     proud tradition of selfless volunteerism to the United States 
     Armed Forces.
       (2) Specialist Four Dannie A. Carr, of Sevier County, 
     Tennessee, served with distinction in B Company, 2nd 
     Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division during 
     the Vietnam War in defense of the United States.
       (3) Specialist Four Dannie A. Carr, twice wounded in battle 
     and later killed in action by artillery fire on July 3, 1969, 
     has been duly recognized by the Army, having been awarded the 
     Bronze Star for Valor and the Purple Heart.
       (4) The heroism of Dannie A. Carr is well known and held in 
     high regard within the community of Sevier County, Tennessee.
       (5) The municipalities of Pittman Center, Sevierville, 
     Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Sevier County have agreed to 
     and passed resolutions supporting the renaming of the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient 
     clinic in Sevier County, Tennessee, in honor of Specialist 
     Four Dannie Arthur Carr.

     SEC. 2. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMUNITY-
                   BASED OUTPATIENT CLINIC, SEVIERVILLE, 
                   TENNESSEE.

       The Department of Veterans Affairs community-based 
     outpatient clinic located at 1124 Blanton Drive, Sevierville, 
     Tennessee, shall after the date of the enactment of this Act 
     be known and designated as the ``Dannie A. Carr Veterans 
     Outpatient Clinic''. Any reference to such community-based 
     outpatient clinic in any law, regulation, map, document, 
     record, or other paper of the United States shall be 
     considered to be a reference to the Dannie A. Carr Veterans 
     Outpatient Clinic.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Miller) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I do rise today in proud support of H.R. 2814, to name the Department 
of Veterans Affairs CBOC in Sevierville, Tennessee, the Dannie A. Carr 
Veterans Outpatient Clinic.
  I thank the bill's sponsor, my colleague and friend, Congressman Phil 
Roe from Tennessee, for recognizing an American hero through this 
legislation today.
  Specialist Fourth Class Dannie Arthur Carr was born in June of 1947 
in Sevierville, Tennessee. During the Vietnam war, Specialist Carr 
served with distinction in the United States Army.

[[Page H1056]]

  It is only appropriate that his service and his life also be 
recognized by designating the VA community-based outpatient clinic in 
Sevierville, his hometown, the Dannie A. Carr Veterans Outpatient 
Clinic.
  H.R. 2814 satisfies the committee's naming criteria and is supported 
by the entire Tennessee congressional delegation, veterans service 
organizations, including The American Legion, AMVETS, the Veterans of 
Foreign Wars, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Blinded Veterans 
Association.
  I understand that the resolutions in support of this action and in 
honor of Specialist Carr have also passed the municipalities of Pittman 
Center, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Sevier County in 
Tennessee.
  Once again, this bill is sponsored by my good friend from Tennessee, 
Dr. Roe. He himself is an Army veteran and a senior member of the House 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. I am grateful to him for his hard work 
and advocacy on behalf of our Nation's veterans through his bill and 
through his valuable participation on our committee.
  I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2814.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this legislation to name the 
community-based outpatient clinic in Sevierville, Tennessee, after Mr. 
Dannie A. Carr.
  Specialist Four Dannie Arthur Carr was born on June 30, 1947, and was 
originally from Tennessee. He served his country in the Vietnam war as 
a member of the U.S. Army and as an infantryman in B Company, 2nd 
Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division.
  Dannie was a 1-year veteran of the Army when his tour began on 
November 5, 1968. On July 3, 1969, he was killed from artillery fire 
under hostile conditions in Tay Ninh Province, South Vietnam. He was 
only 22 years old. He was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor and the 
Purple Heart.
  SP-4 Carr is buried at Zion Grove Cemetery in Tennessee, and each 
year he is memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on panel 21W, 
line 50.
  Dannie was just one of the many young men who fought and died for the 
freedom we hold most dear. Naming this facility is just one small way 
we can honor his memory and make sure that his sacrifice for our Nation 
will never be forgotten.
  I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the Vietnam veterans. 
When they came home from Vietnam 40 years ago, we as a Nation did not 
properly recognize them, and we should have. Today we are finding that 
the largest portion of our veterans who are committing suicide are our 
Vietnam veterans.
  Many of those men and women were not integrated into the VA health 
system; yet if they could get the treatment that they need, we could 
reduce the incidences of suicide, which number about 22 a day. Of this 
number, only three of these veterans are in the VA health system.
  It is our time for all of us to soldier up. We need to ensure that 
all of our veterans are enrolled in the VA system. So if you know a 
veteran, make sure to encourage him or her to register and actively 
seek help at the VA. If you know a veteran who served during the 
Vietnam conflict, make sure you let that veteran know that our country 
loves them and we really appreciate their service.
  Saying ``God bless America'' means that God has blessed America with 
the service of the Vietnam veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe), a very important 
person to our committee. Dr. Roe is an Army veteran himself from the 
First District of Tennessee, Johnson City.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I thank both Chairman Miller and 
Ranking Member Brown for their kind remarks.
  It is a great honor to be here today, Mr. Speaker, as I rise to 
support H.R. 2814, which honors the sacrifice of a Vietnam war hero and 
names the VA clinic in Sevierville, Tennessee, after Specialist Four 
Dannie Arthur Carr.
  Four Specialist Carr was an unmarried soldier who was killed in 
action and left no children to carry his name. I can think of no higher 
honor than to lend his name forever to the Veterans Affairs facility in 
his hometown.
  The son of a Baptist minister and World War II veteran, Carr was born 
in June of 1947 in Sevier County, Tennessee. He attended Gatlinburg-
Pittman High School, where he was a star basketball player.

                              {time}  1245

  Carr entered the United States Army at the age of 20 in 1967 and 
proudly served B Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Division. In 
combat, Carr displayed valor, having been awarded two Purple Hearts and 
a Bronze Star. He was killed in action by artillery fire on the day 
before Independence Day, July 3, 1969, at age 22.
  The heroism of Specialist Carr is well known and held in high regard 
throughout Sevier County. All the local municipalities have approved 
resolutions supporting the naming of this Veterans Affairs community-
based outpatient clinic after Carr.
  In Tennessee, aptly nicknamed the Volunteer State, we hold a proud 
history of volunteerism in military service and ensure that the legacy 
of those who fought and died for this country is preserved.
  Naming this facility after Dannie Carr will do exactly that, preserve 
the legacy of an American patriot who bravely gave his life at such a 
young age.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to note that this bill does not remove 
anyone's name from the VA clinic in Sevier County. The facility I 
propose naming after Carr is a vacant medical facility that, through 
the leadership of Sevier County Mayor Larry Waters and Sevierville 
Mayor Bryan Atchley, we were able to secure a lease to the Department 
of Veterans Affairs for a whopping $1 per year. It is not currently 
named after another soldier. Specialist Carr is an obvious top choice 
when considering this honor.
  I urge my colleagues to preserve the legacy of this brave American 
soldier, Specialist Dannie A. Carr, taken from this Earth at such a 
young age, and pass this legislation.
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I would like to acknowledge that there are 1,000 Delta Sigma Theta 
visiting with us on the Hill today during Women's History Month.
  I want to thank the families and thank the leadership for bringing 
this bill naming to us today, Mr. Dannie A. Carr.
  I want to once again thank the Vietnam veterans for their service to 
this country. God has blessed America with their service.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, again I urge all of my colleagues 
to support this legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2814.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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