Udall, Lamborn to Introduce Bill to Name New Colorado Springs VA Clinic
U.S. Senator Mark Udall, who serves on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, and Congressman Doug Lamborn plan to introduce legislation later this month to name the new Colorado Springs Veterans Affairs clinic after a Colorado Springs Medal of Honor recipient. Earlier this year, a nine-member nominating committee recommended the new Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) be named after Floyd Kenneth Lindstrom.
Lindstrom, who served in the Second World War, received the Medal of Honor for his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity" in singlehandedly defeating a German counterattack on November 11, 1943 on a hill near Mignano, Italy. His citation notes that then-private first class Lindstrom "demonstrated aggressive spirit and complete fearlessness in the face of almost certain death."
Lindstrom, who spent his childhood at the Myron Stratton Home (then a home for indigent children) south of Colorado Springs, died in another battle a few months later. A family friend said Lindstrom did not have "a weak link in his make up."
"As a member of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, I strongly agree with the recommendation of the Colorado Springs veterans community that this honor should be bestowed on World War II Medal of Honor recipient PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom," Udall said. "The veterans clinic bearing his name will serve as a lasting tribute to a Colorado Springs hero who put his life at risk so that others might live."
"I can think of no one more deserving of this distinct honor than Floyd Lindstrom," Lamborn said. "Like so many of his generation, he lived a hardscrabble life. When called upon, that generation met the challenges head on with courage and conviction. They defended the world against evil and ensured our freedom today. Today’s veterans have shown equal courage and this new clinic represents one small measure of our gratitude."
The new VA clinic, located at the corner of Fillmore Street and Centennial Boulevard in Colorado Springs, is expected to open next spring. The clinic will offer southern Colorado veterans expanded services such as audiology, physical therapy, optometry and mental health.
Lamborn and Udall are currently seeking the backing of the entire Colorado congressional delegation for the bill to name the clinic after Lindstrom.