Dear Editor,
The Hinesville VA Outpatient Clinic has been renamed the John Gibson, Dan James, William Sapp, and Frankie Smiley VA Outpatient Clinic. This change is a result of Congressman Buddy Carter’s bill, one of 30 bills passed by the 118th Congress and signed by President Joe Biden.
I was honored to attend the ceremonies. Dan James was my mother’s first cousin, and Frankie Smiley was my wife’s cousin.
Let us also take a moment to acknowledge the efforts of Bruce McCartney and Donald Singleton, two real half-brothers — one White and one Black — who advocated for the renaming of the VA clinic in honor of the four killed in action during the Vietnam War.
I first met them at the Liberty County premiere of the award-winning documentary, “In the Shadow of the Blade,” in December 2003. The documentary was released in 2004 and is available on YouTube. It provides valuable insight into the experiences of Vietnam veterans as a restored Huey helicopter travels across our country.
Fourteen-and-a-half minutes into the documentary you find yourself in Midway, Georgia, with locals, veterans in the 10-minute segment titled “Soldier, Welcome Home,” which features Donald Singleton and others as they recount their best and worst day in Vietnam. As a member of the 101st Airborne, he was airlifted out by a Huey helicopter crew, sitting on the bodies of nine fallen comrades.
Donald is a great advocate for the Coastal Georgia veteran community. He saved the life of a little girl in harm’s way. He used to ride in parades in his Purple Heart Volkswagen Beetle. He also was the grand marshal of the Richmond Hill Christmas parade.
Bruce McCartney served as a combat medic, flying dust-off missions on UH-1 helicopters during the Vietnam War. Since the war, he has established himself as one of the nation’s leading independent advocates for veterans’ rights. Working out of his one-man office in his home, he has assisted countless veterans with disability and pension issues for decades.”
He successfully championed the ‘’Independent Living Program within the VA, which provides small grants to veterans to improve their quality of life. This program has positively impacted the lives of thousands of veterans like me. I estimate that his advocacy work has directly affected veterans to the tune of over $2 billion in the last 20 years.
It has been my honor, and privilege, to be associated with Bruce and Donald and our work with former Congressman Jack Kingston. Department of Veteran Affairs bureaucrats who had issues with the renaming of the VA clinic after the Liberty 4 found out the hard way that you don’t mess with them.
They are men on a mission, committed to having other VA facilities in Georgia’s First Congressional District named after others K.I.A. and Vietnam veterans who fought with courage, valor and honor and some paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We wish you Godspeed!
A nation that forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten. We must remember our fallen heroes. Very well done, gentlemen. Very well done.
Ted Harris, Midway