A new bill in Congress seeks to name the future Blind Rehabilitation Center at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Long Beach Medical Center in honor of Major Charles R. Soltes, Jr., O.D., the first Army optometrist killed in action while on active duty.
Major Soltes served as a public health officer with the 426th Civil Affairs Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve, in Mosul, Iraq. On October 13, 2004, a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device rammed into his humvee, resulting in
his death.
