Editor’s note: Mr. McCartney’s letter is addressed to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis R. McDonough.

Mr. Secretary,

In January 2023 you changed the name of a VA medical center from Hunter Holmes McGuire to Richmond VA Medical Center.

You stated this was authorized under the authority of 38 USC 531 specifically “§531. Requirements relating to naming of Department property (a) Naming Limitation. -Except as expressly provided by law or as authorized under subsection (b), a facility, structure, or real property of the Department, and a major portion (such as a wing or floor) of any such facility, structure, or real property, may be named only for the geographic area in which the facility, structure, or real property is located.”

As the previous name, Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical wasn’t expressly provided by law you adhered to the letter of the law.

Also, on January 27, 2023, legislation was introduced (HR 593) to rename the Hinesville VA clinic (named so since opening in 2014) to honor and memorialize four Liberty County natives all killed in action during combat operations in Vietnam in 1968.

The legislation was passed by the House on November 13, 2023.

Just days later the identifying signage of the Clinic was illegally modified, contrary to statutes, from VA Hinesville Outpatient Clinic to VA Ralph H Johnson VA Healthcare System.

This illegal modification cost the taxpayers $87,399.55.

The Ralph H Johnson Medical Center leadership was queried repeatedly and even provided the citations of law and VHA directives. Their final response was “verified information from our VA Secretary’s office” was no violation of U.S. statutes.

HR 593 was passed by the Senate on May 2, 2024, and was ultimately signed into law by President Biden on May 13, 2024.

June 3, 2024 was my first communication to you and your staff questioning whether violations of 38 USC 531, other statutes, and VHA directives occurred by Ralph H Johnson leadership in modifying the identifying signage.

Multiple communications with your office of the general counsel followed, with “answers to follow.”

Finally, I received a letter, not from OGC as promised, instead from Ralph H Johnson Medical Center leadership, violators of the statute. Not one word of the July 5, 2024 letter hinted to or mentioned violations.

Forwarding the letter to your OGC, their response Tuesday was shocking, “OGC’s Real Property Law Group advised on the letter you received from the facility. It will not be responding separately.”

Mr. Secretary, the questions remain: Did the Ralph H. Johnson Medical Center leadership violate 38 UC 531 and other U.S. statutes/directives with the illegal modification?

Were their actions disrespectful to the honored veterans, their Gold Star family members, the 16 Georgia members of Congress, and all 535 embers of Congress who pass our laws? The President?

All Veterans past and present? Are the taxpayers going to pay another $87,399.55 again for the correct, authorized clinic identifying signage?

How many other geographically named VA clinics have been illegally renamed?

Is there anyone in the Veterans Administration who can and will answer these questions?

Bruce A. McCartney, SFC, USA (Ret)