The West Haven Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center will be renamed for Captain Paul "Bud" Bucha, a Ridgefield Medal of Honor recipient who received care until his 2024 death, after the House passed the bill.
The Senate unanimously approved the bill from U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy in August 2025, days after the anniversary of Bucha's death. U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro led the House measure passed today.
Bucha received the Medal of Honor in 1970 for heroism while leading 89 men on a reconnaissance mission near Phuoc Vinh, Vietnam, from March 16 to 19, 1968, when he destroyed a machine-gun bunker and directed a medical evacuation of wounded soldiers under enemy fire. He later served as president of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and on the board of Homes for Our Troops, which builds homes for severely injured veterans.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said, "I am thrilled we are one step closer to renaming the West Haven VA Medical Center in honor of a true American hero — Captain Paul "Bud" Bucha. Our bill, which I led, honors Bud's bravery and service, and his tireless advocacy for fellow veterans. I am grateful for the strong show of support in the House, and now we must all work together to get this bill signed into law without delay."
Bucha received care for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and neurological treatment for Alzheimer's disease at the West Haven medical center, where he died in July 2024. With the hospital's assistance, his brain was donated to the Center for Human Brain Discovery at Yale University.
"From his service in Vietnam to his tenacious advocacy for veterans in Connecticut, Captain Bucha left an impact everywhere he went," said U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy. "He was second to none in courage, and renaming the West Haven VA Medical Center in his honor will serve as an enduring reminder and a call to action to mirror his commitment to protect others and support our veterans."
The renaming will make West Haven the second VA facility in Connecticut named for a veteran, following Bucha's decades of advocacy for fellow service members.
