[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 76 (Thursday, May 2, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S3367]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         CHARLIE DOWD VA CLINIC

  A bill (S. 3285) to rename the community-based outpatient clinic of 
the Department of Veterans Affairs in Butte, Montana, as the ``Charlie 
Dowd VA Clinic'' was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was 
read the third time, and passed as follows:

                                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 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.

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