Henry Parham Va Clinic

Floor Speech

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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4955) to name the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, as the ``Henry Parham VA Clinic''.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 4955

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) Henry Parham was born in Emporia, Virginia, in November 1921.

(2) At age 21, Henry Parham was drafted into the Army and shipped out to England in 1943 with the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion in preparation for the D-Day invasions.

(3) The 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, a segregated Army unit, consisted of approximately 700 African-American soldiers with the mission of hoisting barrage balloons designed to entangle incoming German planes and prevent them from conducting strafing runs on ground troops.

(4) On June 6, 1944, Private First Class Henry Parham and his section of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion landed at Omaha Beach. With the threat of enemy sniper and rifle fire ever present, PFC Parham's unit performed their duties, hoisting their barrage balloons 2,000 feet into the air over the beachhead in Normandy.

(5) For two months, Private First Class Henry Parham and the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion stood watch at Omaha Beach, keeping the pipeline of incoming supplies and Allied troops secure before returning to the United States in September 1944.

(6) After his service, Henry Parham moved to Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, where he lived and worked as a heavy equipment operator until 1986. There, he met and married his wife, Ethel Parham, to whom he was married for more than 45 years.

(7) Henry Parham died on July 4, 2021, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the age of 99. He was survived by his wife, Ethel, both of whom served for decades as volunteers at the medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and local chapters of veterans service organizations.

(8) Henry Parham was the last surviving African-American combat veteran who took part in the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944. SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF HENRY PARHAM DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CLINIC.

(a) Designation.--The community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, shall after the date of the enactment of this Act be known and designated as the ``Henry Parham Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic'' or the ``Henry Parham 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 Henry Parham VA Clinic.

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Mr. BOST. 4955.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4955, a bill to designate the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, as the Henry Parham VA Clinic.

Henry Parham was born in 1921 in Greenville, Virginia, and was drafted into World War II in 1942.

In June of 1944, he took part in the D-day landing in France, serving in the 320th Very Low Altitude Anti-Aircraft Barrage Balloon Battalion. His unit was responsible for downing dozens of enemy aircraft.

After the war, he returned home. In his spare time, he kept serving his community by volunteering with his wife in their local VA. He was also the last surviving African American who took part in the D-day landings when he passed away in 2021.

Henry Parham is a great example of what it means to live a life of service, and I am proud to name this VA clinic after him to continue to tell the story of service and inspire future generations.

I thank the sponsor of the bill, Representative Lee, as well as the entire Pennsylvania delegation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, H.R.
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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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