#aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4   
,r4 #fhfc  ,,an ,,act  ,to designate the
 medical center of the ,department of   
,veterans ,affairs in ,memphis1         
,tennessee1 as the ,lt4 ,col4 ,luke     
,weathers1 ,jr4 ,,va ,medical ,center4  
#a4 ,findings ,congress finds the       
following3 7#a7 ,luke ,joseph ,weathers1
 ,jr41 was born ,december #af1 #aibb1 in
 ,grenada1 ,mississippi1 then moved to  
,memphis1 ,tennessee1 at age five4  7#b7
 ,luke ,joseph ,weathers1 ,jr41         
graduated from ,booker ,t4 ,washington  
,high ,school and is an alumnus of      
,xavier ,university in ,new ,orleans4   
7#c7 ,upon his graduation1 ,luke ,joseph
 ,weathers1 ,jr41 enlisted in one of the
 first training programs for ,black     
pilots1 beginning his journey as a      
,tuskegee ,airman4  7#d7 ,within his    
first few years active in the war1 ,luke
 ,joseph ,weathers1 ,jr41 named his     
plane ,spirit of ,beale ,street1 in     
honor of his hometown1 ,memphis1        
,tennessee4 ,he flew this plane with the

 ,red ,tails4  7#e7 ,he was credited    
with shooting down ,german planes while 
protecting ,united ,states ,army ,air   
,corps bombers and shooting down two    
,messerschmitt #ajis in ,italy while    
escorting a damaged ,b-#bd ,liberator   
bomber4  7#f7 ,during his military      
service1 he rose to the rank of         
,lieutenant ,colonel4  7#g7 ,luke       
,joseph ,weathers1 ,jr41 received       
numerous honors and awards throughout   
his long and distinguished career4  7#h7
 ,among them1 he was presented with an  
,air ,medal with #g clusters and an     
,american ,theater ,ribbon ,victory     
,medal during his military service4     
7#i7 ,following the war1 ,luke ,joseph  
,weathers1 ,jr41 returned to ,memphis1  
receiving a hero's welcome and a key to 
the city4  7#aj7 ,on ,july #ac1 #aidg1  
he married ,la,verne ,nailling at ,st4  
,therese-,little ,flowers ,catholic     
,church in ,memphis4  7#aa7 ,in #aifj1  
he accepted a job with the ,federal     
,aviation ,administration 7hereinafter1 

the ,,faa7 as an air traffic control    
specialist in ,anchorage1 ,alaska4      
7#ab7 ,in #aife1 ,luke ,joseph          
,weathers1 ,jr41 moved back to ,memphis1
 becoming the first ,black air traffic  
controller in ,memphis4  7#ac7 ,weathers
 later held positions with the ,,faa in 
,atlanta1 ,georgia1 and the ,district of
 ,columbia1 where he eventually retired 
in #aihe1 after serving as a reservist  
in the military for #bc years4  7#ad7   
,during retirement1 ,luke ,joseph       
,weathers1 ,jr41 remained active with   
the ,tuskegee ,airmen1 ,inc4 and        
continued to support ,african ,americans
 in the military4  7#ae7 ,in #aiie1     
,luke ,joseph ,weathers1 ,jr41 moved to 
,tucson1 ,arizona1 shortly after        
marrying ,jacqueline ,moore ,weathers4  
7#af7 ,in #bjjg1 ,luke ,joseph          
,weathers1 ,jr41 and the ,tuskegee      
,airmen were honored with a             
,congressional ,gold ,medal4  7#ag7 ,on 
,october #ae1 #bjaa1 ,luke ,joseph      
,weather1 ,jr41 died in ,tucson1        

,arizona1 at the age of #ij1 leaving    
behind his wife1 two sons and daughters1
 #ab grandchildren1 and #aj             
great-grandchildren as well as a legacy 
of countless lives he touched4  7#ah7   
,on ,january #bj1 #bjab1 ,lieutenant    
,colonel ,luke ,joseph ,weathers1 ,jr41 
was interred at ,arlington ,national    
,cemetery4  #b4 ,designation of the ,lt4
 ,col4 ,luke ,weathers1 ,jr4 ,,va       
,medical ,center ,the medical center of 
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
located in ,memphis1 ,tennessee1 shall1 
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 be known and designated as the    
,lt4 ,col4 ,luke ,weathers1 ,jr4 ,,va   
,medical ,center4 ,any reference in any 
law1 regulation1 map1 document1 paper1  
or other record of the ,united ,states  
to such medical center shall be         
considered to be a reference to the ,lt4
 ,col4 ,luke ,weathers1 ,jr4 ,,va       
,medical ,center4  ,passed the ,house of
 ,representatives ,november #ad1        
#bjbb4;,clerk4