Bipartisan effort to rename women's clinic at Milwaukee's VA
Effort to rename Milwaukee's VA women's clinic
It?s not often that lawmakers from both parties come together. But tonight, there is bipartisan support in Wisconsin to honor a local trailblazer who recently died.
MILWAUKEE - It’s not often that lawmakers from both parties come together. But tonight, there is bipartisan support in Wisconsin to honor a local trailblazer, Anne Mae Robertson, who recently died.
"Anne Mae Robertson was an amazing figure, not only in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but in the nation," said U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore.
About Anna Mae Roberston
The backstory:
During World War II, Anna Mae Robertson served in the Six-Triple-Eight. The first and only all-black female unit deployed overseas during the war.
As shown in the Netflix movie, they were responsible for clearing millions of pieces of mail for troops. They did it in just three months.
"And their motto was ‘no mail, low morale.’ And so they took this chore on just like it was their sons or husbands or brothers," said Moore.
After leaving the army, she worked as a nurse’s aide at the Veteran’s hospital.
Anna Mae Robertson died last month at 101 years old, just months after we captured her being honored during a ceremony at her church.
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Renaming women's clinic
What we know:
Now, Democratic Congresswoman Gwen Moore is leading the charge to rename the women’s clinic at the Zablocki VA Medical Center as the Anna Mae Robertson VA Well Women clinic.
"We don't need 280 for this, but it'll go to committee and be heard. And then we are hoping that it will get to the floor. We have a much better chance of getting it to the Floor getting it passed because it is a bipartisan bill," said Moore.
"Gwen Moore came to me, and I was more than happy to support it," said U.S. Representative Bryan Steil.
Republican Congressman Bryan Steil says Roberston lived a life of service. He calls the proposed recognition fitting.
What they're saying:
"Recognizing people who are doing the right thing is so important. There are so many unsung heroes in our community I don’t think we spend enough time recognizing," said Steil.
Leaders say the legislation to honor Robertson would only change the name of the Women’s Clinic, not the VA Hospital.
Moore hopes to get the bill passed in this congress.
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She wants people who visit to know Anna Mae Robertson’s story.
"She was somebody who lived to be 101 years old. So that, you know, they may be curious about how she lived such a good life to be blessed with that many years," said Moore.
Before her death, Robertson received the congressional gold medal, the highest honor from congress.
The Source: This post was produced by FOX6 News.