The Guntersville VA Clinic was officially renamed on Thursday in honor of Medal of Honor recipient and Marshall County native Colonel Ola Lee Mize.
U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville), who introduced the bill to change the name, held a commemorative ceremony alongside a host of veterans, local leaders, and community members.
"This dedication is about more than changing a sign—it is about honoring a hero and reaffirming our commitment to all who have served," Aderholt said during the ceremony. "There is already a bridge in Marshall County that honors Colonel Mize, and hundreds of people see his name each day. But I believed it was important for his name to stand on a building where veterans come for care, so that his legacy is tied not only to remembrance, but to service."
The late Mize was awarded for his courageous actions during the Korean War. His widow, Betty Mize, attended the ceremony and was presented with a framed copy of Aderholt's bill honoring her husband.
"It was important to me that Mrs. Mize and her family know that this community and this nation will never forget the sacrifice and service of Colonel Ola Lee Mize," Aderholt said.
He also said that the clinic, by bearing Mize's name, would inspire confidence in other veterans who receive treatment there and serve as a reminder of the price of freedom.
"It is a promise — that they will be cared for with the respect and dignity they deserve. That they are never forgotten. And that our community will always honor their service," he said.
"This clinic, now bearing Colonel Mize's name, will stand as a constant reminder that freedom has a cost, and that those who pay it deserve not only our gratitude but our action. By placing his name here, we commit ourselves to serving veterans with the same devotion that Colonel Mize showed to his fellow soldiers and to this nation."
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