The Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Long Beach last week was named the Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center, after late Garden Grove resident and war hero Tibor Rubin.
The Department of Veterans Affairs pushed for the name-change at 5901 E. 7th St.
Rubin, who died in 2015, was a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.
The Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Long Beach last week was named the Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center, after late Garden Grove resident and war hero Tibor Rubin.
The Department of Veterans Affairs pushed for the name-change at 5901 E. 7th St.
Rubin, who died in 2015, was a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.
The name change comes after President Obama signed H.R. 6323 in November of 2016. Bill H.R. 6323 was introduced to the House of Representatives by California Congressman, 47th District, Alan Lowenthal and was backed by all 53 representatives and California’s two senators. The billed called for a renaming of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center to honor Corporal Rubin.
Rubin was born in a Hungarian village on June 18, 1929. He was taken to Mauthausen Concentration Camp at the age of 13, and was liberated on May 5, 1945 by American soldiers.
In 1950, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was sent to the front lines of the Korean War. While slowing an enemy attack, Corporal Rubin was severely wounded and captured. As a prisoner of war, he would escape at night to steal food and medicine for other prisoners. Corporal Rubin has been credited with saving the lives of as many as 40 of his fellow prisoners.
In 2005, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President George W. Bush. On Aug. 8, 2014, the U.S. Postal Service honored him by issuing commemorative Medal of Honor Korean War stamps. On March 13, 2015, the City of Garden Grove renamed a city library after him, and honored him with a commissioned bronze bust.
Members of the Garden Grove City Council attended the ceremony.
