[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 131, 115th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


Public Law 115-9
115th Congress

An Act


 
To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs health care center in
Center Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, as the ``Abie Abraham VA
Clinic''. <>

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) Abie Abraham of Lyndora, Pennsylvania, was stationed
during World War II with the 18th Infantry in New York; 3 years
with the 14th Infantry in Panama; 15th Infantry, unassigned in
China, while the U.S.S. Panay was sunk; 30th Infantry, Presidio,
San Francisco; and the 31st Infantry, Manila, Philippines, for 9
years.
(2) During World War II, Abraham fought, was captured,
endured the Bataan Death March and as a prisoner of war for 3\1/
2\ years, was beaten, stabbed, shot, survived malaria and
starvation to be rescued by the 6th Rangers.
(3) Abraham stayed behind at the request of General Douglas
MacArthur for 2\1/2\ more years disinterring the bodies of his
fallen comrades from the Bataan Death March and the prison
camps, helping to identify their bodies and see that they were
properly laid to rest.
(4) After his promotion in 1945, Abraham came back to the
United States where he served as a recruiter and then also
served 2 years in Germany until his retirement with 30 years of
service as a Master Sergeant.
(5) Abraham received numerous medals for his service,
including the Purple Heart, and had several documentaries on the
Discovery Channel and History Channel.
(6) Abraham wrote the books ``Ghost of Bataan Speaks'' in
1971 and ``Oh, God, Where Are You'' in 1977 to help the public
better understand what our brave men endured at the hands of the
Imperial Japanese Army as prisoners of war.
(7) Abraham was a life member of the Veterans of Foreign
Wars, the American Legion, the Purple Heart Combat/Infantry
Organization, the American Ex-POWs, the Disabled American
Veterans, and the American Defenders of Bataan.
(8) Abraham was a volunteer at Veterans Affairs Butler
Healthcare for 23 years from 1988 to 2011 and had 36,851 service
hours caring for our veterans.
SEC. 2. ABIE ABRAHAM VA CLINIC.

(a) Designation.--The Department of Veterans Affairs health care
center in Center Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, shall

[[Page 17]]

after the date of the enactment of this Act be known and designated as
the ``Abie Abraham VA Clinic''.
(b) References.--Any reference in any law, regulation, map,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the health care
center referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a reference
to the ``Abie Abraham VA Clinic''.

Approved March 13, 2017.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 609:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 163 (2017):
Feb. 13, considered and passed House.
Feb. 17, considered and passed Senate.