Washington, DC --- The United States Senate passed by unanimous consent Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Senator Bill Nelson’s veterans center bill to rename the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Miami, Florida, as the "Bruce W. Carter Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center".  

First Class Carter served as a radio operator with Hotel Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division. On August 7, 1969, in combat north of the Vandegrift Base in the Quang Tri Province in Vietnam, Private First Class Carter threw himself on an enemy grenade, giving his life in service to our country so that his fellow Marines could survive.

Said Ros-Lehtinen, “I am thrilled that the Senate approved this bill before their August recess. This renaming not only pays tribute to the ultimate sacrifice that Bruce made but it also tells the countless other veterans that their service is appreciated by a grateful community.

 I would also like to thank Senator Bill Nelson and his staff for the wonderful work they have done in assuring this bill’s passage in the Senate. Special mention also goes to my incredibly talented staffer, Joshua Salpeter, for his tireless commitment to this legislation. Now on to the formal dedication ceremony! ”

Ros-Lehtinen will also attend Bruce’s memorial service on the 39^th anniversary of his death this upcoming Thursday, August 7^th in Miami Lakes, Florida.

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