RODNEY C. HAMILTON, SR.
March 24, 1932 - November 30, 2020

Purple Heart Recipient

Combat Wounded - Korean War -
Marine Corps Volunteer - Age 17

Outstanding Marine Corps Recruiter - Louisiana

Member:
- Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH)
- Marine Corp League - Service to Veterans
- Veterans Action Coalition of Southwest
Louisiana (Founder)
- Elected Official - City of Lafayette (1968-1972)

Rodney C. Hamilton, Sr.’s life was one of extraordinary achievement. He was the Founder and Chairman of the Veterans Action Coalition of Southwest Louisiana. His goal was to have the Veterans Administration build a new community based outpatient clinic in Lafayette, Louisiana, to provide more health care by increasing the availability of medical specialty services within the local area, and to reduce the need for elderly Veterans to travel long distances to obtain medical care.

To help achieve the increased availability of medical services, Rodney personally recruited a core of dedicated workers to join his “Board of Directors”. That Board included Bob Lowe, Tom Grote, Jim Nunn, Tom Green, Dud LaStrapes, Norwood Meche, Randy Vidrine, Charles McGowen, Bryan Butalis, Skip Palmintier, and Miguel Macias. Rodney and his Board led a campaign resulting in more than 45,000 signatures being gathered in support of Veterans and a new updated clinic.

Rodney, together with the help of Congressman Charles Boustany, was able to change Congressional rules for funding VA clinics, and was able to acquire funding for 27 VA Clinics in 19 states. The Lafayette, Louisiana VA Clinic was opened in November of 2016, after seven years of persistent work by Rodney and his Board - - an extraordinary effort.

WHEREAS, the Lafayette, Louisiana, Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) has not yet been named to honor an outstanding citizen.

WHEREAS, the undersigned, knows that Rodney C. Hamilton, Sr. performed the most significant contribution of any single individual in obtaining the construction of the Lafayette, Louisiana CBOC; was more than instrumental as the guiding force behind acquiring the new Lafayette, Louisiana CBOC; and that such service was of an extraordinarily distinguished character.

THEREFORE, I, the undersigned, recommend that the Veterans Affairs Committees of the United States House and Senate introduce a Bill to name the Lafayette, Louisiana CBOC, the “Rodney C. Hamilton, Sr. Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic.”

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