(MSC News)--The VA outpatient clinic in Kansas City, Kansas, could soon bear the name of a Mayetta resident and World War II, and Korean War, veteran.

According to a release from the office of United States Senator Jerry Moran, ranking member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, the legislation he introduced along with fellow Kansas Republican Senator Roger Marshall, was passed last week by the U.S. Senate.

The legislation now goes to the U.S. House of Representatives to be considered.

If ultimately approved, the legislation will mean the renaming of the clinic as either the "Captain Elwin Shopteese Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic” or the “Captain Elwin Shopteese VA Clinic.”

Moran's release explains that Shopteese, a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, was born in Mayetta on July 16, 1921, going on to join the Kansas National Guard, becoming a member of Company E, 137th Infantry Regiment, which was involved in several battles across Europe during the war, including the invasion of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. Shopteese received a battlefield commission for his leadership while in combat at Omaha Beach; and earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his service during World War II, returning to Kansas prior to his service in the Korean War.

After returning from the war, Shopteese began a life of service for his fellow Native Americans, specifically the Potawatomi, serving as a Tribal Council member. He was directly involved in the creation of the Indian Community Alcoholism Resources Expeditors, known as I.C.A.R.E., Recovery Home, where he served as executive director until the time of his June 25, 1992, death.

Moran, in the release, says the "legislation honors [the] legacy [of Shopteese] and preserves his story for generations to come."

Marshall, in the release, says that "after much anticipation, Captain Elwin Shopteese is receiving the recognition that he rightfully deserves," adding that "with the passage of this legislation, Captain Shopteese's unwavering service to our nation and Kansas will be properly memorialized and celebrated in his hometown community for generations."