RECOGNIZING THE ``MAJOR CHARLES ROBERT SOLTES JR., O.D. BLIND REHABILITATION CENTER'' Mr. President, today I wish to commemorate the dedication of the ``Major Charles Robert Soltes Jr., O.D. Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center.'' As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives during the 111th Congress, I strongly supported the bill that ultimately became P.L. 111-164. That law designated the Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center in Long Beach, CA, as the ``Major Charles Robert Soltes, Jr., O.D. Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center.'' Naming this facility after MAJ Charles Robert Soltes, Jr. is an appropriate expression of our support for our blinded veterans. In 2004, while deployed in Iraq, MAJ Soltes was serving in the 426th Civil Affairs Battalion in the U.S. Army when the vehicle he was traveling in was struck by an improvised explosive device, costing him his life. MAJ Soltes was the first Army optometrist to be killed in action while on active duty. He left behind a long-lasting legacy in the veteran community. His sacrifices remain an inspiration, particularly amongst the approximately 157,000 veterans in the United States who are legally blind and the more than one million veterans suffering from debilitating low vision. Mr. President, I was the son of a World War II veteran and before entering public service, I practiced optometry in Rogers, AR. With that background, I hold an immense respect for, and a particularly strong interest in, the care that VA blind rehabilitation centers provide our wounded warriors. Approximately 60 percent of veterans with known combat-related Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and 30 percent with noncombat-related TBI report vision symptoms. As eye injuries continue to plague our servicemembers overseas, our VA eye care providers play a vital role in the medical service our veterans receive. This week, the VA health care system adds one more location where those who have given so much for our freedoms can seek help with their vision problems. The dedication of this facility as the ``Major Charles Robert Soltes Jr., O.D. Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center'' is a fitting tribute to a fallen hero who committed his life to our country and the health and wellbeing of his fellow Americans. The service and sacrifice of MAJ Soltes will not be forgotten and his dedication to country and mankind will live on through the increased care for our Nation's blind veterans.