History

Olin E. Teague Veterans' Center

The Olin E. Teague Veterans' Center at Temple, Texas, had its origins in the McCloskey General Hospital, which was activated on June 16, 1942. The hospital was named for Maj. James A. McCloskey, who was killed on Bataan on March 26, 1942, the first regular United States Army doctor to lose his life in World War II. The hospital was one of the army's largest general hospitals and was outstanding as a center for orthopedic cases, amputations, and neurosurgery. It provided expert care and treatment for all military personnel and had many specialists on its staff. The reconditioning of sick and injured soldiers who did not need further hospital care was carried on at McCloskey Annex, Waco. In May 1946 the hospital was taken over by the Veterans Administration and became a general medical and surgical center. The two main hospital buildings were modernized and dedicated in 1967. In 1979 the McCloskey Veterans Administration Center was renamed in honor of Olin E. Teague, who served as chairman of the committee on veterans affairs in the United States House of Representatives for eighteen years.