Announcing the Colonel Charles and JoAnne Powell VA Clinic
I am thrilled to announce that this week, Congress passed my bill to rename the VA community-based outpatient clinic in San Angelo, Texas, the "Colonel Charles and JoAnne Powell VA Clinic."
I cannot think of two people more deserving of this honor than Col. Charles and JoAnne Powell. They are both true American heroes who dedicated their lives to serving our country through a distinguished career in the U.S. Air Force, and later in civilian life when they became two of the most ardent advocates for veterans and military members.
Col. Charles and JoAnne Powell met in preschool in Nashville, Arkansas. They graduated high school together and married in December 1954, six months after Charles graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. When all of Charles’ missions in the Air Force took him around the world, JoAnne was serving alongside him.
Colonel Powell and JoAnne first flew into San Angelo in 1980, when Charles was appointed as the Base Commander at Goodfellow Air Force Base, and JoAnne the honorary First Lady of the Concho Valley.
They were a perfect team, supporting one another as they completed the missions of life with flying colors. Together they raised an exceptional daughter, Terri, and adored their two wonderful grandchildren.
Now, every veteran who walks in for care at the clinic—and every person in the community who drives by—will be reminded of, and inspired by, the service of Charles and JoAnne.
Colonel Powell passed away on July 2, 2020 and JoAnne Powell passed on March 24, 2021. The couple were married for 65 years. Watch my remarks on the Floor of the U.S. House to honor their incredible legacy here or above.