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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E914]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING FRANK VARDEMAN, JR.
_____
HON. LUCY McBATH
of georgia
in the house of representatives
Thursday, October 1, 2020
Mrs. McBATH. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the life of
Frank Burton ``Burt'' Vardeman, Jr., a life built on faith, service,
and family. Mr. Vardeman passed away peacefully on September 13, 2020
at the age of 95. He is survived by his wife Martha Frances Hay
Vardeman, their four children Frances, Frank, Cile, and Marty; nine
grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
The first of four brothers, Burt was born in Columbus, Georgia and
grew up in Covington. He attended public schools and graduated from
Covington High School in 1942. During his freshman year at North
Georgia College, Burt was drafted into the United States Army Air
Corps. He served his country during World War II as a Flight Radio
Operator on B-24 Liberator bombers with the 15th Air Force, surviving
31 combat missions over Nazi-occupied Europe. During one mission, Nazis
destroyed three of the engines on Burt's plane, and he and his
crewmates considered jumping into the Aegean Sea. Fortunately, they
spotted an airstrip in the distance, where they landed and were housed
by the Tuskegee Airmen, who frequently escorted his Bomb Group, while
waiting for another plane. Burt frequently said throughout his life,
``I owe my life to the Red Tails.''
After the war, Burt came home and studied at Auburn University using
the GI Bill, where he met Martha, his ``Sweetie Pie.'' Graduating in
1949 with a B.S. in Building Construction, Burt and Martha moved to
Tuscaloosa, Alabama to join Martha's father, a Presbyterian minister
who had just been named president of Stillman College, a historically
black college. Serving as Business and Property Manager at Stillman
College, Burt helped the school become an accredited four-year
institution by overseeing the construction and management of IO major
campus buildings, a considerable achievement during the Civil Rights
Movement.
Burt, Martha, and their four children moved to Atlanta in 1965, where
Burt worked until his retirement in 1989. His accomplishments during
that career included overseeing the construction and administration of
the Presbyterian Church USA headquarters. In retirement, he spoke of a
deep gratitude for the heroism of the Tuskegee Airmen and was made an
honorary Tuskegee Airman himself. Burt volunteered for numerous
organizations, including North Decatur Presbyterian Church and Kiwanis,
enjoyed golfing and fishing, and was an avid bowtie enthusiast. More
than anything, however, he cherished his family.
Burt and Martha built a family rooted in love and support. He
selflessly served his American family overseas by defending democracy
and at home by building the foundation for a more just and equal
future. Through his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren,
Burt's legacy of faith, service, and family is destined to live on for
generations.
It is my distinct privilege to help honor and celebrate the storied
life of Burt Vardeman. As his family continues to grieve this profound
loss, I offer my deepest condolences. On behalf of myself, the Sixth
Congressional District, and the United States House of Representatives,
I am eternally grateful to Burt for his unbounded dedication to the
betterment of humanity and the overflowing passion with which he lived.
____________________