Governor Youngkin Officially Renames Virginia Veterans Care Center In Roanoke As Davis & McDaniel Veterans Care Center To Honor Two Virginia Military Heroes
The Commonwealth of Virginia officially renamed the Virginia Veterans Care Center as the Davis & McDaniel Veterans Care Center during a special ceremony held Tuesday, December 12 in Roanoke.
Over 200 persons attended the ceremony and ribbon cutting including Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs Craig Crenshaw, Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) Commissioner Daniel Gade, and the two Virginia military heroes for whom the 224-bed comprehensive nursing facility is now named – Colonel Paris D. Davis, (U.S. Army, Retired) and Captain Eugene “Red” McDaniel (U.S. Navy, Retired).
Colonel Paris D. Davis received the Congressional Medal of Honor in March 2023 for his acts of bravery and gallantry during combat as a Green Beret in rescuing the soldiers under his command in Vietnam in June 1965. He served three tours of duty in Vietnam. He was inducted into the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame and retired after 26-years of active duty in 1985.
Captain Eugene “Red” McDaniel was forced to eject from his crippled aircraft in November 1967 over North Vietnam, captured and held as a Prisoner-of-War until his release in March 1973. He was subject to brutal treatment as a P.O.W. and returned to Portsmouth Naval Hospital for rehabilitation from his injuries. A recipient of the Navy Cross and other honors, Captain McDaniel retired after 27-years of active duty in 1982.
In his introductions of Colonel Davis and Captain McDaniel, Governor Youngkin said, “Providing care to veterans is a sacred responsibility and it is one we must always honor. What a profound honor it is to name this facility after two heroes who stood for freedom. Now, it is our turn to serve you.”
Originally opened and dedicated on Veterans Day, November 11, 1992, the Virginia Veterans Care Center (now the Davis & McDaniel Veterans Care Center) is located adjacent to the Salem VA Medical Center at 4550 Shenandoah Avenue, N.W in Roanoke. Since its opening, the Commonwealth has opened, and DVS has operated, the Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center in Richmond (January 2008) and the Jones & Cabacoy Veterans Care Center in Virginia Beach (November 2023). The Puller Veterans Care Center in Fauquier Center will open in 2024. By renaming the Roanoke facility the Davis & McDaniel Veterans Care Center, all DVS veterans care centers throughout Virginia are now named in honor of Virginia military heroes.
About the Virginia Department of Veterans Services
The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) is a state government agency with more than 50 locations across the Commonwealth of Virginia. DVS traces its history to 1928 with the establishment of the Virginia War Service Bureau to assist Virginia’s World War I veterans. Today, DVS assists veterans and their families in filing claims for federal veterans benefits; provides veterans and family members with linkages to services including behavioral healthcare, housing, employment, education, and other programs. The agency operates three long-term care facilities (with a fourth center opening in 2024) offering in-patient skilled nursing care, Alzheimer’s/memory care, and short-term rehabilitation for veterans; provides an honored final resting place for veterans and their families at three state veterans cemeteries; and operates the Virginia War Memorial, the Commonwealth’s tribute to Virginia’s men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice from World War II to the present. For more information, please visit www.dvs.virginia.gov.