Helena Independent Record: Bill to name VA clinic in Butte after Charlie Dowd heads to president’s desk

Montana’s congressional delegation on Monday applauded the House passage of a bill to rename the Butte VA clinic after Charlie Dowd, a Montana Pearl Harbor veteran who died last year.

Dowd enlisted in the U.S. Navy in January 1941. He was a radioman at Pearl Harbor and during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack he ran from the barracks to the roof of the armory, where wearing a T-shirt and boxer shorts he fired at low-flying torpedo bombers. That combined with the rest of his time in service in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea earned him the nickname “Devil Dog Dowd,” according to a press release from U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke’s office. 

The Senate version of the bill passed in May and the legislation now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk.

The Butte community-based outpatient clinic will be known as the Charlie Dowd Department of Veteran Affairs Clinic.

The bill was introduced in the House by Zinke and the Senate version was from Sen. Steve Daines. The whole Montana delegation in April 2023 urged House and Senate leadership to pass the legislation.

“Radioman Dowd is a true example of a man who loved his community and his country and lived every day to serve both. Listening to Dowd recount his experiences from Pearl Harbor and the South Pacific and watching him tap on the table to the Morse Code he sent as a radioman will always be one of my most meaningful visits and lasting memories,” Zinke, a former Navy SEAL, said in a press release. “Renaming the clinic after this American and community Hero will serve as a reminder of the life of service and commitment to patriotism Charlie Dowd lived that we can all look up to. I urge President Biden to sign this bill into law immediately.”

Daines in a statement said: “Charlie Dowd was a Montana hero who fought with outstanding bravery in World War II and dedicated his life to advocating for veterans. I applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for passing S. 2385, which will continue Charlie Dowd’s legacy as a patriot and defender of freedom by renaming the VA facility in his honor.”

Sen. Jon Tester, who chairs the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and fought for funding for the clinic and veterans home in Butte, in a press release praised the passage of the bill.

“Charlie Dowd’s extraordinary courage at Pearl Harbor and exemplary service is what makes America the greatest country on earth,” Tester said. “Charlie was one of Montana’s very best, and naming the new Butte VA Clinic in his honor ensures his legacy and that of the entire Greatest Generation is never forgotten. It’s a fitting honor for a clinic that serves thousands of Butte-Silver Bow veterans, and I urge the President to sign our bill into law without delay.”

U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale also welcomed the legislation’s House passage:

“Heroes like Charlie Dowd are what make America a beacon of hope here and abroad,” Rosendale said. “Naming the facility that provides care for thousands of veterans across the Treasure State in Charlie’s honor would be a worthy accolade for his bravery and service to our great nation. Charlie Dowd devoted his life to defending our freedoms, serving our veterans, and strengthening Montana communities.”

Dowd was honorably discharged in 1945 with seven Bronze Star Medals. In his 60s he moved to Anaconda, where he was an active member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association and spoke for civic groups and museums. He was also a sportsman and wrote a column for the Anaconda Leader.

After Dowd died in March 2023 at the age of 99, Zinke read the following into the congressional record:

“Montana and Americans everywhere lost a great patriot, warrior, and servant with the passing of Mr. Charles A. “Charlie” Dowd, radioman, U.S. Navy. Born in Rochester, NY, and later calling Montana home, Charlie was the son of a World War I veteran and enlisted in the Navy while he was in high school. At age 17 he received his orders and was assigned to duty at Pearl Harbor. On the evening of December 6, 1941, Dowd reported for duty at 2330. He worked through the night before returning to his barracks at daybreak.

Dowd awoke to America under attack. In just his T-shirt and boxer shorts he grabbed his rifle and brass and took position on the roof. He fired so many rounds at attacking Japanese combatants that his rifle barrel burned like his anger. As Dowd recalled some years later,  “I didn’t have any fear at the time,” he said. “We were angry.” It was that courage and anger and love of country that eventually led us to victory in the Pacific and Europe.

There were 2,403 service members and civilians who died that day, and 14 of them were from Montana. As one of the few survivors on the attack at Pearl Harbor, he continued his military service on vessels in the Pacific Theater in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea until the end of the war and was discharged in 1945.

For his military service, he was awarded multiple Bronze Stars and several other commendations. I had the honor of visiting Dowd over the years. Listening to his stories and the stories of the men he served with are humbling and moving. More than 70 years later at 99 years old, he could still tap to the messages he sent as a radioman in Morse code on the table we visited on in Anaconda.

In Charlie’s time after war, he continued his second life of service as a high school teacher for building trades where he filled young minds with memories they still talk about today. He leaned into his passion as a sportsman by spending time hunting, fishing, and writing a weekly column named “The Wild Side” which became a staple for the Western Montana community.

Charlie’s life with his wife, Clara, was the epitome of the American dream and our state was made a better place because they called it home. History will know Charlie Dowd as one of the last living survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor, a Montana legend, and true American hero.”