WASHINGTON, DC – The Senate today passed Rep. Sam Farr’s, D-Carmel, bill to name the future joint Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense outpatient clinic at the former Fort Ord the "Major General William H. Gourley VA-DOD Outpatient Clinic.” The bill, H.R. 272, honors Gen. Gourley for his lifetime of service to his country, his fellow members of the military and Central Coast veterans. The Senate vote was unanimous in support of the bill.

 

“General Gourley used to champion what he called his 10 Golden Rules,” said Farr. “His 10th Golden Rule was ‘Make a better Army and Corps for your subordinates to inherit.’ He carried that mantra into his retirement and his work with California veterans. It is great to see that his efforts to leave behind a better Central Coast will be honored at the clinic he helped build.”

 

Gen. Gourley, who passed away in 2008, was instrumental in the clinic's development. His interest in designating a section of Fort Ord as a joint clinic for both veterans and service members began when the base closed in 1994. Because of his efforts, the clinic, which is only the second joint clinic in the United States, will serve over 80,000 active duty service members, their families and veterans. 

 

Ground was broken last Veterans Day and the clinic is expected to open in the fall of 2016. The three-story building, 104,000-square-foot facility will provide primary care and specialty care including medical/surgical subspecialty clinics, mental health care, audiology, physical and occupation therapy, ancillary and diagnostic services. The clinic will replace the VA’s existing clinic which is too small to serve the current population and cannot be expanded.

 

Gen. Gourley's military service began in the late 1950s when he served in Germany, where he shared MREs (Meal, Ready-to-Eat) with Elvis Presley. He later served in Korea and Vietnam. After returning from his tour in Vietnam, he was assigned to the Pentagon and rose to work with then General Colin Powell on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

 

In his retirement, Gen. Gourley worked to enhance life for active duty soldiers and veterans living in Central California by working to improve TRICARE service on the Monterey peninsula; establish a veterans cemetery on the old Fort Ord; make health care more affordable and accessible to military retirees; and placing the groundwork for the joint DOD-VA health care clinic.

 

The bill passed the House of Representatives in November and now heads to the White House for the President’s signature.

 

Artistic rendering of the clinic: