Watch CBS News

VA Hospital In Philadelphia To Be Renamed In Honor Of Vietnam War Veteran

By Kim Glovas

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia's Veterans Administration Hospital is getting a new name, after a bill was signed by President Obama earlier this week.

The bill means the VA hospital in West Philadelphia will be renamed in memory of Michael Crescenz, who lived in West Oak Lane and served in the Vietnam War.

Terry Williamson, president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, says,  "All of the veterans in the region are extremely excited about this. Michael was the only Medal of Honor recipient from Philadelphia for his actions in 1968 when he assaulted multiple machine gun nests."

Williamson says the last assault killed him. He was 19-years-old at the time.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is in the planning stages of erecting a statue of Crescenz and has already begun fundraising on that project.

You may also be interested in these stories:

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.