By HANNAH SIEVERT
CENTRAL OREGON DAILY NEWS
On Monday, Bend’s Veterans Affairs clinic was officially renamed after local veteran Robert Maxwell, on what would have been the war hero’s 100th birthday.
“It’s a nice coming together of his life, his work, his commitment to others,” said Rep. Greg Walden, who was on hand for the event.
Community leaders and family members gathered Monday outside of the clinic and shared stories about Maxwell’s life and legacy.
When Maxwell died last year at the age of 98, he was the oldest Medal of Honor recipient in the country.
“He cared so much about his fellow service members, about their wellbeing,” Walden said. “That was his life.”
Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden introduced a bill in the Senate to rename the clinic, while Walden introduced the legislation in the House. The legislation was approved in September.
Walden says the new name is a way for Bend to remember the hero’s legacy.
And friends who knew him are thankful to see his memory honored.
“His legacy lives on,” Dick Tobiason, chairman of the Bend Heroes Foundation, said. “His body doesn’t but his spirit is with us.”
