Rep. F. Edward Hebert

The American Legion presented Hebert, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, with the Distinguished Service Medal in 1974.

National Commander Robert Edward Lee Eaton praised Hebert for waging a "courageous campaign against elements of corruption within his home state" as a New Orleans Times-Picayune journalist. And as a member of Congress, "he has tried constantly for the elements of strength to the nation's defense and actively supported needed improvement in the veterans benefit programs," Eaton said.

As the nation wrestled with the Vietnam War, Hebert pleaded with Legionnaires to support their representative government and to make their votes count at all levels. "I don't care which side you vote anyway, or for whom you vote, but get out and vote and try to build up this country, because you have a minority government today," he said, pointing to turnouts of far less than 50 percent.

From 1918 to 1940, Hebert worked in public relations for his alma mater, Tulane University, and as a journalist. He spent the next 36 years representing Louisiana's First District in the U.S. House of Representatives. including a stint as chairman of the powerful Armed Services Committee from 1971 to 1975.

In 1972, Hebert sponsored legislation that created the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., which trains health-care professionals for the Department of Defense and the Public Health Service. "When my service is ended and I look back over the milestones of my career, I want most to be remembered for the military medical school," he said.

After retiring from the House in 1977, Hebert returned to Louisiana, where he died two years later, at 78. In 1983, Congress designated the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine.

For more on Hebert, click here (http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000437).