WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the President signed into law legislation sponsored by U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee – and Sen. Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.) to name the VA outpatient clinic in Kansas City, Kansas, after Captain Elwin “Al” Shopteese. The law formally designates the clinic as the “Captain Elwin Shopteese Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic” or the “Captain Elwin Shopteese VA Clinic.”

Elwin Shopteese was born in Mayetta, Kansas, on July 16, 1921, and was a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. Upon high school graduation, he immediately enlisted in the Kansas National Guard and became a member of Company E, 137th Infantry Regiment. Shopteese and his company were involved in several battles across Europe during World War II, including the invasion of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. He received a battlefield commission for his leadership while in combat at Omaha Beach. He also received a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his service during World War II. Shopteese returned to Kansas to attend Haskell University in 1946 before continuing his military service in the Korean War.

After returning from the war, Shopteese dedicated himself to serving his fellow Native Americans, specifically the members of the Potawatomi nation. He served as a Tribal Council member and was directly involved in the creation of the Indian Community Alcoholism Resources Expeditors (I.C.A.R.E.) Recovery Home, where he served as executive director until his passing on June 25, 1992.

“Captain Shopteese’s legacy of service to our country and the Native American community will be forever honored and preserved for all who come through the doors of the Captain Elwin Shopteese VA Clinic,” said Sen. Moran. “I am pleased the President has signed this legislation to honor a Kansas veteran who dedicated his life to his country and his community.”

“There is no one more deserving of this honor than Captain Shopteese,” said Sen. Marshall. “His service to our nation exemplifies servant leadership and will be memorialized for generations to come. I am glad to see the President sign our legislation into law and am honored to have been a part of this project.”

The Kansas City VA outpatient clinic opened in July 2022 and is located at 9201 Parallel Pkwy, Kansas City, KS 66112.

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