#aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,s4   
#ccfi  ,,an ,,act  ,to designate the    
medical center of the ,department of    
,veterans ,affairs in metropolitan      
,atlanta1 ,georgia1 as the ,joseph      
,maxwell ,cleland ,atlanta ,department  
of ,veterans ,affairs ,medical ,center4 
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,max ,cleland ,,va ,medical     
,center ,act4  #b4 ,findings ,congress  
finds the following3 7#a7 ,joseph       
,maxwell ,cleland was born ,august #bd1 
#aidb1 in ,atlanta1 ,georgia1 the child 
of ,juanita ,kesler ,cleland and ,joseph
 ,hughie ,cleland1 a ,world ,war ,,ii   
veteran1 and grew up in ,lithonia1      
,georgia4  7#b7 ,joseph ,maxwell        
,cleland graduated from ,stetson        
,university in ,florida in #aifd1 and   
received his ,master's ,degree in       
history from ,emory ,university in      
,atlanta1 ,georgia4  7#c7 ,following his
 graduation from ,stetson ,university1  
,joseph ,maxwell ,cleland received a    
,second ,lieutenant's ,commission in the

 ,army through its ,reserve ,officers'  
,training ,corps program4  7#d7 ,joseph 
,maxwell ,cleland volunteered for duty  
in the ,vietnam ,war in #aifg1 serving  
with the #ast ,cavalry ,division4  7#e7 
,on ,april #h1 #aifh1 during combat at  
the mountain base at ,khe ,sanh1 ,joseph
 ,maxwell ,cleland was gravely injured  
by the blast of a grenade1 eventually   
losing both his legs and right arm4     
7#f7 ,joseph ,maxwell ,cleland was      
awarded the ,bronze ,star for           
meritorious service and the ,silver     
,star for gallantry in action4  7#g7 ,in
 #aigj1 ,joseph ,maxwell ,cleland was   
elected to the ,georgia ,senate as the  
youngest member and the only ,vietnam   
veteran1 where he served until #aige4   
7#h7 ,as a ,georgia ,state ,senator1    
,joseph ,maxwell ,cleland authored and  
advanced legislation to ensure access to
 public facilities in ,georgia for      
elderly and handicapped individuals4    
7#i7 ,in #aigf1 ,joseph ,maxwell        
,cleland began serving as a staffer on  

the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of
 the ,united ,states ,senate4  7#aj7 ,in
 #aigg1 ,joseph ,maxwell ,cleland was   
appointed by ,president ,jimmy ,carter  
to lead the ,veterans ,administration4  
7#aa7 ,he was the youngest              
,administrator of the ,veterans         
,administration ever and the first      
,vietnam veteran to head the agency4    
7#ab7 ,he served as a champion for      
veterans and led the ,veterans          
,administration to recognize1 and begin 
to treat1 post-traumatic stress disorder
 in veterans suffering the invisible    
wounds of war4  7#ac7 ,joseph ,maxwell  
,cleland was elected in #aihb as        
,secretary of ,state of ,georgia1 the   
youngest individual to hold the office1 
and served in that position for #ad     
years4  7#ad7 ,in #aiif1 ,joseph        
,maxwell ,cleland was elected to the    
,united ,states ,senate representing    
,georgia4  7#ae7 ,as a member of the    
,committee on ,armed ,services1 ,joseph 
,maxwell ,cleland advocated for         

,georgia's military bases1 members of   
the ,armed ,forces1 and veterans1       
including by championing key personnel  
issues1 playing a critical role in the  
effort to allow members of the ,armed   
,forces to pass their ,,gi ,bill        
education benefits to their children1   
and establishing a new veterans cemetery
 in ,canton1 ,georgia4  7#af7 ,in #bjjb1
 ,joseph ,maxwell ,cleland was appointed
 to the #i_/aa ,commission4  7#ag7 ,in  
#bjjc1 ,joseph ,maxwell ,cleland was    
appointed by ,president ,george ,w4     
,bush to the ,board of ,directors for   
the ,export-,import ,bank of the ,united
 ,states1 where he served until #bjjg4  
7#ah7 ,in #bjji1 ,joseph ,maxwell       
,cleland was appointed by ,president    
,barack ,obama as ,secretary of the     
,american ,battle ,monuments ,commission
 overseeing ,united ,states military    
cemeteries and monuments overseas1 where
 he served until #bjag4  7#ai7 ,in      
#bjaj1 ,joseph ,maxwell ,cleland was    
appointed ,chairman of the ,advisory    

,committee on ,arlington ,national      
,cemetery1 where he served until #bjag4 
7#bj7 ,joseph ,maxwell ,cleland authored
 three books3 ,strong at the ,broken    
,places1 ,going for the ,max3 #ab       
,principles for ,living ,life to the    
,fullest1 and ,heart of a ,patriot4     
7#ba7 ,joseph ,maxwell ,cleland received
 numerous honors and awards over the    
course of his long and distinguished    
career4  7#bb7 ,joseph ,maxwell ,cleland
 was a patriot1 veteran1 and lifelong   
civil servant who proudly served        
,georgia1 the ,united ,states1 and all  
veterans and members of the ,armed      
,forces of the ,united ,states4  7#bc7  
,on ,november #i1 #bjba1 at the age of  
#gi1 ,joseph ,maxwell ,cleland died1    
leaving behind a legacy of service1     
sacrifice1 and joy4  #c4 ,joseph        
,maxwell ,cleland ,atlanta ,department  
of ,veterans ,affairs ,medical ,center  
7a7 ,designation ,the medical center of 
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs in
 metropolitan ,atlanta1 ,georgia1 shall 

after the date of the enactment of this 
,act be known and designated as the     
,joseph ,maxwell ,cleland ,atlanta      
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
,medical ,center or the ,joseph ,maxwell
 ,cleland ,atlanta ,,va ,medical        
,center4  7b7 ,reference ,any reference 
in a law1 regulation1 map1 document1    
paper1 or other record of the ,united   
,states to the medical center referred  
to in subsection 7a7 shall be deemed to 
be a reference to the ,joseph ,maxwell  
,cleland ,atlanta ,department of        
,veterans ,affairs ,medical ,center4    
,passed the ,senate ,july #bh1          
#bjbb4,secretary