[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 93 (Friday, June 29, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1273]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HONORING AL FOWLER

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. BOB BARR

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 28, 2001

  Mr. BARR of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, few times each week, we open our 
newspapers and read about someone who is making important contributions 
in a particular field. It is these individuals who continue to make 
America a great place to live, and we should never fail to recognize 
their contributions. However, it is with much less frequency that we 
hear about people who have spent a lifetime contributing to our society 
in numerous different areas, always rising to the top level in each 
endeavor.
  One such individual is Al Fowler, a native of Douglasville, Georgia. 
After graduating from Douglas County High School and the University of 
Georgia, where he earned high honors and was active in Student 
Government and the Future Farmers of America, Al answered his country's 
call and left to fight in World War II.
  During the war, Al served in the 483rd Bomber Group in Italy, where 
his group of B-17s suffered a casualty rate of 107%, including 
replacements. Although he had the option to leave after surviving 30 
missions, Al Fowler stayed on the front, and stopped flying only when 
the war ended on the morning before his 34th mission. During his 
tenure, he was promoted to Brigadier General and earned a Distinguished 
Flying Cross for bringing his crippled aircraft back to the ground 
after a particularly dangerous mission.
  Fortunately, Al Fowler's time in Italy was marked by more than just 
war and bloodshed. It was during this time that he met his wife, who 
was serving with the Red Cross in Italy. They went on to be married on 
the Isle of Capri. At that wedding, they exchanged rings made of gold 
confiscated from dead German soldiers by a friendly Italian jeweler, 
the bride wore a dress sewn from German parachute silk, and the couple 
departed from their wedding in a B-17 Flying Fortress flown by the 
groom.
  After returning to Douglasville, Al won election to the Georgia 
General Assembly, where he served with pride and distinction for 16 
years. Next, he won election to the Georgia Public Service Commission. 
During his political years, he truly helped develop the state of 
Georgia, and was instrumental in building its communications and 
transportation infrastructure. Later, Al went on to become Georgia's 
Adjutant General, where he started the National Guard program we rely 
on today, and once again contributed immensely to our nation's defense.
  After leaving politics in the 1970s, Al must have still felt he had 
not done enough to improve his community, because he took a job as 
President of Douglas Country Federal Savings and Loan. During his 
tenure of over 30 years in banking, Al helped countless families 
achieve their dream of owning a home or starting their own business. He 
also helped reform the savings and loan industry after many of his 
competitors overextended themselves. His work to reform these 
institutions has made many of them stronger today than they ever were 
before.
  Al Fowler has already been honored by his community and the State of 
Georgia for his service. He was recently named the 2nd recipient ever 
of the Chairman's Award at our Aviation Hall of Fame in Warner Robins, 
Georgia. An exhibit there will honor his contributions to freedom and 
prosperity in America.
  As Al reaches his 81st birthday, and finally begins a well-deserved 
retirement, I hope that other members of this body will join me in 
thanking him for his service to our nation and our community in 
Georgia.

                          ____________________