January 31, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 20 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session
IN MEMORY OF THE HONORABLE JACK T. BRINKLEY, SR.; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 20
(Extensions of Remarks - January 31, 2019)
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[Extensions of Remarks] [Page E119] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] IN MEMORY OF THE HONORABLE JACK T. BRINKLEY, SR. ______ HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR. of georgia in the house of representatives Thursday, January 31, 2019 Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a distinguished public servant, dedicated statesman, mentor, and dear friend of longstanding, The Honorable Jack T. Brinkley, Sr. Sadly, Jack passed away on January 23, 2019, at the age of 88. His passing marks the close of a long and prolific life, and his departure leaves a void in the hearts of many Georgians. He leaves behind an impeccable legacy of service that will never be forgotten. A funeral service was held on Saturday, January 26, 2019, at 2 p.m. at Evangel Temple in Columbus, Georgia. Jack Thomas Brinkley, Sr. was born on December 22, 1930, to the union of the late Lonnie and Stella Brinkley in Faceville, Georgia. A product of the Decatur County Public School System, he graduated from Attapulgus High School in 1947 and Young Harris College in 1949 before working as an educator and basketball coach from 1949 to 1951. In 1951, he joined the United States Air Force where he served for 5 years as a combat crew pilot. After honorably serving his country, he obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Georgia School of Law, was admitted to the bar, and became a prominent lawyer with Young, Hollis, and Mosely and later with Coffin and Brinkley, both in Columbus, Georgia. He served in the General Assembly of Georgia for two one-year terms from 1965 to 1966. While serving as the State Representative for District 112, he was appointed Chairman of the Local Affairs Committee, authored legislation to require phenylketonuria (PKU) testing for newborn infants, and spearheaded the protest against the closure of the Warm Springs Institute for which he later sponsored funding legislation. In 1966, he was elected to Congress from the 3rd District of Georgia at age 35, and served for eight terms, retiring from the 97th Congress in 1983. While serving as the representative for Georgia's Third Congressional District, Jack authored several key pieces of legislation. Following the Vietnam War, he was the author of legislation establishing the Gold Star Wives Charter. He also authored dual use legislation in Civil Defense during the Carter administration which authorized, by statute, federal response to natural and wartime disasters. Jack was also the author of legislation designating Andersonville as a National Historic Site, which transferred it from the Department of the Army to the Department of Interior. With the help of his Co-Chairman, the Honorable Rudy Hayes of Americus, he was able to place the Georgia Memorial at the site. During his last Congressional term before retirement, he was Chairman of the Military Construction Subcommittee, which had jurisdiction over military acquisitions and disposals, and as such, blocked the transfer of land at Fort Gillam chosen for the Region IV Veteran's cemetery. Subsequently, under Jack's leadership, the Fort Mitchell VA cemetery was approved by the Reagan Administration. During the last terms of his service in Congress, there was intense competition for the location of an army plan for One Station Unit Training (OSUT), where basic infantry training was to be combined with advanced infantry training to reduce costs. Endorsements from the New England Mid-West Coalition for Fort Drum in New York and Senator Strom Thurmond for Fort Jackson in South Carolina initially blocked the Army's choice of Fort Benning. However, Jack's move to Chairman of the Military Construction Subcommittee led to the authorization of the reception station at Sand Hill at Fort Benning. Jack was also pivotal in establishing Interstate 185 connecting Interstate 85 to Columbus, Georgia. As a Congressman, Jack placed a huge emphasis on constituent service and attendance, as he was known for passionately advocating for citizens facing the heavy hand of bureaucracy and rarely missed a vote or quorum call. He was a CIVITAN, a Master Mason, and an attorney for 50 years, but he was a Christian for all of his life. He was baptized when he was almost ten years old at Betts' Mill Pond and he practiced the requirements of Micah to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God. He faithfully took his family to Edgewood Baptist Church and taught Sunday School there for many years, before joining Evangel Temple, where he served until his passing. Jack was more than a legislator, he was a servant to all humankind. He gave of himself to countless causes and organizations. Dr. Maya Angelou once said that ``I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.'' Jack threw a prodigious amount of love and service back to the state and nation he loved so dearly. Jack achieved much in his life but none of it would have been possible without the love and support of his loving family. While he was preceded in death by his late and dearly beloved wife, Lois Kite Brinkley, and his son, Jack, Jr.; his legacy lives on through his dearly beloved wife, Sally; his son, Fred; and a host of family and friends who will miss him deeply. On a personal note, Jack Brinkley was a mentor to me. But more importantly, he was indeed a role model for my career in public service. From his strong example of constituent service, to his eloquent use of poems and appropriate quotations in his oral and written presentations. Jack Brinkley has been the model I have sought to emulate. He held fast to his promise to ``remember who I am, where I'm from, and who sent me.'' The world and human kind are better because Jack passed this way. Jack was truly a great representative for Southwest Georgia and a stellar example of how a public servant should serve his constituents. His friendship, leadership, and counsel will be sorely missed. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join my wife, Vivian, and me, along with thousands in the Chattahoochee Valley and across America in paying tribute to former Georgia Congressman Jack T. Brinkley, Sr. for a life well lived and in extending our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time of bereavement. Moreover, we pray that they will be consoled and comforted by an abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks, and months ahead. ____________________