[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 118 (Monday, July 22, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H4647-H4648]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   THOMAS H. COREY VA MEDICAL CENTER

  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 7333) to name the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center 
in West Palm Beach, Florida, as the ``Thomas H. Corey VA Medical 
Center''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 7333

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

     SECTION 1. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL 
                   CENTER, WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA.

        The Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in West 
     Palm Beach, Florida, shall after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act be known and designated as the ``Thomas H. Corey VA 
     Medical Center''. Any reference to such medical center in any 
     law, regulation, map, document, record, or other paper of the 
     United States shall be considered to be a reference to the 
     Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Bost) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on 
H.R. 7333.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7333 to name the 
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Palm Beach, 
Florida, as the Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center.
  Sergeant Thomas Corey served as a combat infantryman with the U.S. 
Army and was deployed in Vietnam in May 1967. In January 1968, while 
fighting in the Tet Offensive, he was hit in the neck by an enemy 
round. The round hit his spinal cord and left him permanently 
paralyzed. This wound forced him to be medically retired from the Army 
in May 1968.
  Sergeant Corey received a Bronze Star for valor and two Purple Hearts 
for his service. As a veteran, Mr. Corey served on many local 
government and VA advisory boards, advocating for veterans and disabled 
veterans. He was a founding member of the Vietnam Veterans of America, 
West Palm Beach Chapter, later becoming its national president.
  Mr. Corey traveled to Vietnam 16 times after the war, representing 
Vietnam Veterans of America's POW, MIA, and Agent Orange initiatives.
  Thomas Corey was described by his friends and family as a shining 
light, having a positive attitude and a great sense of humor despite 
the visible scars and challenges he faced as a result of his service to 
our great Nation. He passed away on June 6, 2022, at the age of 77.
  By naming the VA's medical center in his honor, Thomas Corey's 
service to our Nation and our Nation's veterans community will not be 
forgotten. I thank the sponsor of the bill, Representative Mast, as 
well as the entire Florida delegation, who led this effort. I also 
thank Vietnam Veterans of America for their advocacy for this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 7333, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 7333, a bill to 
designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West 
Palm Beach, Florida, as the Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center.
  A recipient of the Bronze Star Medal with Valor, two Purple Hearts, 
the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, a Presidential Unit 
Citation, a Valorous Unit Citation, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry 
Cross, and the Combat Infantry Badge, Thomas Corey was a decorated 
combat veteran and a steadfast advocate for his fellow veterans, for 
his community, and for peace and reconciliation around the world.
  A native of Detroit, Mr. Corey was drafted into the United States 
Army in December 1966. He was deployed in Vietnam as a squad leader in 
the 1st Cavalry Division, and on the first day of the Tet Offensive, 
January 31, 1968, while engaged in an assault against enemy positions 
in the Quang Tri Province, Mr. Corey was shot in the neck and 
permanently paralyzed. He was medically retired from the U.S. Army in 
May 1968.
  Mr. Corey did not let his injury stop him from working to serve those 
around him. In 1972, he relocated to West Palm Beach, Florida, where he 
became a veteran leader and advocate in his local community. Mr. Corey 
served on advisory boards with his local government, including VA 
medical centers in Miami and West Palm Beach. In fact, Mr. Corey served 
over 15 years as an ombudsman and program specialist in the medical 
center this bill will name in his honor.
  Mr. Corey's work went far beyond his home in Florida. He was the 
founding member of the Palm Beach County

[[Page H4648]]

Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America. He served on the national 
board of directors for that organization for 20 years, including as 
secretary, vice president, and president.
  In that role, he returned to Vietnam 16 times, leading the initiative 
to work with his Vietnamese counterparts to create the fullest possible 
account of those still missing in action from both sides of the war. He 
was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of this 
important work.
  As president of the Vietnam Veterans Peace Initiative, Mr. Corey was 
instrumental in building a maternal health clinic to provide medical 
support for those dealing with the lasting effects of Agent Orange.
  Mr. Corey's lifelong commitment to serving his country and his fellow 
veterans must be remembered. As he once put it: ``It is so important 
that the country just takes time to take a moment to recognize the 
sacrifice that the men and women that served our country in defending 
this Nation. Whether they went off to war or not, they joined the 
military or were drafted and did their job serving their country 
because they cared about it. Hopefully, more people will do that, take 
the time, and let them know and say: Thank you for serving. It is so 
important.''
  I can think of no better way to thank Mr. Thomas Corey for his 
important service than to pass this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this piece of legislation and ask that my 
colleagues do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast), the chief sponsor of this 
legislation.
  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and ranking member for 
recognizing an amazing man. I wish we could do this for every single 
veteran. Every single veteran deserves far more, but today is a 
victory, doing it for this veteran.
  I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 7333, to name the Department 
of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, as the 
Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center.
  I am going to speak about him as a friend because he was a friend. I 
would say this about him: He exhausted himself in the most worthy cause 
that he could find, and the most worthy cause that he could find was 
veterans.
  Every veteran that he could find from every conflict, every war, not 
just his war, but anybody that put a flag on their shoulder, that put 
on a uniform on behalf of the United States of America, it gave him a 
sense of joy, a smile. He was a cheerful giver. Whatever he could do 
for one of our brothers and sisters in arms, that is how he lived his 
life every day.

                              {time}  1600

  Tom Corey served during the Vietnam war as an Army combat infantryman 
with the 1st Air Cavalry Division, 1st Battalion, and 12th Cavalry.
  While engaged in an assault against enemy positions during the first 
day of the Tet Offensive, he was shot in the neck, leaving him 
permanently paralyzed.
  Although he had injuries for the rest of his life, he did not let his 
injuries define him. He overcame his injuries to advocate for others in 
local, regional, and national veterans' organizations every single day 
going forward during his life.
  Tom Corey was a longtime member of Vietnam Veterans of America, 
founding the Palm Beach County chapter at home in my district. He held 
multiple leadership roles in organizations, ultimately serving as the 
president of Vietnam Veterans of America from 2003 to 2005.
  Mr. Corey was a tireless advocate for our veterans' healthcare, 
particularly Vietnam veterans suffering from illnesses attributed to 
Agent Orange. He worked for 15 years at the West Palm Beach VA Medical 
Center as an ombudsman, ensuring that veterans received the highest 
quality of care day in and day out.
  Despite all of his efforts advocating for veterans here at home, he 
never forgot his brothers-in-arms who were still missing in action. Mr. 
Corey returned to Vietnam 16 times leading delegations to meet up with 
top Vietnamese and Laotian officials focused on locating and 
repatriating the remains of those he served shoulder to shoulder with.
  Along with multiple service medals, including two Purple Hearts, Mr. 
Corey was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts and his 
work.
  Tom Corey has shown the world that no injury was big enough to 
eclipse his mission to serve others. Naming the West Palm Beach VA in 
his honor is the least we can do to honor his legacy of service and his 
passionate advocacy for veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the Florida delegation for their support on this 
effort, and I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  I certainly appreciate Congressman Mast bringing to the Nation's 
attention this great American. I am inspired and I am grateful that we 
are renaming this facility in Florida in his honor.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 7333, 
to name the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in West Palm 
Beach, Florida, as the Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all my colleagues to support this 
piece of legislation. This is exactly why we name our facilities after 
those veterans who have served to this level, not only as a veteran and 
in military service but also in their civilian life.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 7333.
  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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