U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas) introduced HR 4150 Monday, calling for the local VAMC in honor of O'Brien.

“George H. O’Brien, Jr.’s selfless service in the Unites States Marine Corps, and around the Big Spring community, makes him a true hometown hero and an example of the high caliber of people who hail from West Texas and the Big Country,” Neugebauer said.

“I will be working with my colleagues, including Senator (John) Cornyn, to get this well-deserved tribute to O’Brien passed through Congress. While we can never fully repay O’Brien for his sacrifices, it is my hope that naming the VA medical center after him will serve as a reminder of his wartime service as well as his avid support for his fellow veterans,” the congressman added.

Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced a bill in Congress earlier this month to rename the local VAMC as the George H. O'Brien Jr. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

O'Brien, a long-time Big Spring resident and graduate of Big Spring High School, received the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor, for valor shown while serving with the U.S. Marines during the Korean War.

O'Brien, a 1944 Big Spring High School graduate, served in the U.S. Merchant Marines from 1944 to 1946, then enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves in 1949. He was ordered to active duty in 1951 and soon saw action in Korea.

At the Battle for the Hook on Oct. 27, 1952, O'Brien's conduct went “above and beyond the call of duty.”

According to the official Medal of Honor citation, O'Brien, then a 2nd Lieutenant, “led his men up the enemy-held hill through a virtual hail of deadly small-arms, artillery and weapon fire ... Struck down by the concussion of grenades on three occasions ... he steadfastly refused to be evacuated for medical treatment and continued to lead his platoon for a period of nearly four hours, repeatedly encouraging his men and maintaining superb direction of the unit.”

Following his discharge from duty, O'Brien returned to West Texas to raise his family and was very active as a volunteer at the VA medical center. A statue of him was unveiled on the medical center grounds last November.

A renaming ceremony will be planned once the legislation is signed by President Obama, local officials said.

O'Brien also is being honored with a scholarship in his name from Texas Tech University.

The George H. O'Brien Medal of Honor Memorial Scholarship, has been initiated at Texas Tech University Alumni Association. The scholarship was established to provide educational funding to Marines and their offspring.

Sponsors of the scholarship say that O'Brien is the only graduate of Texas Tech to receive the Medal.

Anyone interested in making a donation to the scholarship should contact the Texas Tech Alumni Association Endowment Trust, P.O. Box 45001, Lubbock 79409-5001 or call Becky North, chief financial officer for the association, at (806) 742-3641, ext. 233.

Contact Staff Writer Steve Reagan at 263-7331 ext. 234 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it