South Kona National Heritage Area

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7925) to designate the outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Palm Desert, California, as the ``Sy Kaplan Veterans Center'', as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 7925, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life of Technical Sergeant Seymour ``Sy'' Kaplan, a wounded warrior, a World War II veteran, and a decades-long advocate for other veterans living in the Coachella Valley of southern California.

I thank my colleague, a fellow Californian and member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Dr. Raul Ruiz, for his work on this bill, which will designate a brand-new VA outpatient clinic in Palm Desert, California, the Sy Kaplan VA Clinic.

The state-of-the-art Palm Desert clinic provides primary care, behavioral health services, and preventative medicine to thousands of veterans in the Inland Empire as part of VA's Loma Linda Healthcare System.

Sergeant Kaplan enlisted in the military in 1942 and served overseas as a combat engineer in northern Africa, Italy, and France. He fought under

General Patton in the Battle of the Bulge, which helped ensure Allied victory in the Second World War. In 1945, he was seriously wounded by an enemy mortar attack during a bridge-building mission in Czechoslovakia.

For his heroism, Sergeant Kaplan earned three battle stars and two Purple Hearts and returned home 100 percent disabled.

His injuries did not impede Sergeant Kaplan's unwavering commitment to our Nation's veterans, however. For 25 years, he served as commander of Disabled American Veterans Chapter 78 in the Coachella Valley. In this role, Sergeant Kaplan assisted countless veterans, helping ease their transition back to civilian life and providing them with a tight- knit sense of community.

His passion, leadership, and sense of purpose were evident to all who knew him.

Following a lifetime of service, Sergeant Kaplan passed away in April 2019, not long after celebrating his 95th birthday. His legacy continues, however, in the grateful community of those whose lives he touched.

I am happy to know that for generations of veterans to come, this VA facility will honor Sergeant Kaplan's memory.

H.R. 7925, as amended, has been endorsed by The American Legion, DAV, and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters of support for H.R. 1925 from The American Legion, VFW, and Disabled American Veterans, as well as the California delegation.

The American Legion,

Department of California,

Sanger, CA, July 18, 2022.

Hon. Raul Ruiz, M.D.,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Congressman Ruiz: On behalf of The American Legion,

Department of California, we thank you for your continued

leadership in advocating for the more than I 20,000 veterans

living in Riverside County. TAL Department of California is

proud to support your legislation, designating the outpatient

clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Palm Desert,

California, as the, Sy Kaplan Veterans Center''.

By naming the Palm Desert outpatient clinic after United

States Army Technical Sergeant, Seymour ``Sy'' Kaplan, not

only memorializes his contributions and sacrifices made

fighting in North Africa, Italy and France during World War

II, but also underscores his significant contributions

towards Veterans Advocacy in the Palm Desert area. This

advocacy was instrumental in the opening of the very VA

clinic your legislation hopes to name after him.

Thank you again for your leadership and advocacy of all

veterans. TAL Department of California recognizes all the

work that went into this effort and wholeheartedly supports

this legislation. Moreover, we hope this bill will be passed

and signed into law most expeditiously.

Sincerely,

Jere Romano, Commander,

The American Legion Department

of California.

Mr. Speaker, again, I thank Dr. Ruiz and all of our fellow members of the California delegation for their support of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 7925, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7925, as amended, a bill to designate the outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Palm Desert California as the Sy Kaplan Veterans Center.

Sy Kaplan enlisted in the Army at age 18. He served in World War II as a combat engineer in the 2nd, 4th, and 14th Armored Divisions during the North Africa campaign and the liberation of Italy and in France. In that service, he earned three battle stars and two Purple Hearts. He rose to the rank of technical sergeant.

At the end of the war, in 1945, he was seriously wounded by an enemy mortar attack in the former Czechoslovakia and returned to the United States due to his injuries.

Following his return, he started and operated his own construction company. He retired in 1991 and moved to California, as everybody did.

Sergeant Kaplan embraced his new community, where he personally provided countless local veterans with advice and assistance in obtaining and earning their VA benefits.

He served as the commander of the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 78 in Coachella Valley for many years, and, of course, he played an instrumental role in establishing the VA clinic in Palm Desert.

Sergeant Kaplan dedicated his life to service and, most importantly, to helping his fellow veterans. Having his name on this VA clinic will continue his legacy of inspiration.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.