Cassidy, Kennedy Introduce Bill to Rename Lafayette VA Clinic After Local Veteran

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced legislation to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Lafayette, Louisiana, as the "Rodney C. Hamilton Sr. VA Clinic."

"Rodney Hamilton fought for his country in Korea and for his fellow veterans in Louisiana," said Dr. Cassidy. "Naming the Lafayette VA clinic for him honors him for his service here and abroad."

"Rodney C. Hamilton Sr. is an American hero. From his exceptional military service in Korea, for which he was awarded the Purple Heart, to his commitment to community service in Louisiana, he always put others before himself. In large part, he is the reason this V.A. Clinic stands in Lafayette today-and I can think of no one more deserving of having it bear their name. I'm honored to help introduce this legislation to celebrate Rodney Hamilton's legacy in his beloved Lafayette," said Senator Kennedy.

Rodney Hamilton was born in 1932 in Fort Worth, Texas, and moved to Lafayette, Louisiana, in 1948, where he would reside until his death in 2020. At the age of 17, Hamilton joined the Marine Corps and served in the Korean War. He was wounded in combat in September 1951 and was awarded the Purple Heart. After his tenure in the Marine Corps, Hamilton became a Lafayette community leader. He served in Lafayette's city government from 1968-1972 and later founded the Southwest Louisiana Veterans Action Coalition.

As a longtime Veterans advocate, Hamilton played a crucial role in establishing the VA clinic in Lafayette, which opened in 2016. The road leading to the Lafayette VA Clinic was named in Hamilton's honor in 2017, and local chapters of the American Legion, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Disabled American Veterans have all endorsed renaming the clinic as a tribute to Hamilton.

###