[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 80 (Wednesday, May 11, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H4805-H4806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING MS. MADELINE IN RECOGNITION OF HER SERVICE TO EAST TENNESSEE 
                                SENIORS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. DeGette). The Chair recognizes the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, I don't know if some of the folks in the 
back there--we have got two more spaces down in front--if you all can't 
find a place to sit, come on down.
  Madam Speaker, I rise to honor my good friend, Ms. Madeline, who 
recently received the Governor's Volunteer Star Award for her 
outstanding work helping homebound seniors.
  Ms. Madeline is celebrating her 25th year in the AmeriCorps Seniors 
Volunteer Program and has donated 25,000 hours to our community as a 
senior companion through the Knox County Community Action Committee 
Office on Aging.
  Homebound senior citizens face a real danger of becoming isolated 
from their communities. Volunteers at the senior companion program work 
hard every day to address this issue by visiting with homebound folks 
and providing them with regular social interaction. Ms. Madeline has 
helped 43 homebound seniors through her work in this program. She has 
done shopping and meal prep, provided medication reminders, and she has 
been a friend to folks who really needed one.
  The Governor's Volunteer Stars Award is given to outstanding 
volunteers around Tennessee in recognition of their service to their 
communities. I am proud of Ms. Madeline for receiving this award, and 
it is well-deserved. Congratulations to Ms. Madeline. I thank her for 
being a reliable companion for dozens of east Tennessee seniors.


Remembering the Life of James Atkins, Superintendent of Grainger County 
                                Schools

  Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, I rise to remember the life of James 
Atkins, the superintendent of Grainger County Schools who passed away 
on March 27, 2022, at 59 young years.
  James spent his career working for the Grainger County School system, 
and in 2019, he took on the role of superintendent after the retirement 
of his predecessor, Edward Jarnagin.
  As superintendent, he pledged that he would never be too busy to talk 
to an employee, parent, or student. He knew that the purpose of our 
school system was to educate and raise up successful students. The 
kids' well-being was always his priority.

  Thanks to Superintendent Atkins' careful planning during the COVID-19 
pandemic, Grainger County Schools was named Best for All District by 
the Tennessee Department of Education. This recognition was granted to 
schools that responsibly used Federal COVID-19 funds to keep students 
on track.
  As much as James valued his job and the Grainger County Schools 
system, his family came first. He loved his daughter, Whitney, and his 
new granddaughter, Carly, with all his heart. They brought him 
incredible joy, and he was devoted to them.
  I wish to extend my condolences to Whitney; Carly; James' mother, 
Linda; his brother, Jerry; the good folks at Bethel Mission Baptist 
Church; and the many others who greatly miss him.
  Rest in peace, brother.


                   Congratulating Dr. Martha Buchanan

  Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate my good friend, 
Dr. Martha Buchanan, on retiring from her role as director of Knox 
County Health Department.
  Dr. Buchanan said she was 9 years old when she decided she wanted to 
become a doctor. After years of studying hard, she earned her doctor of 
medicine from East Tennessee State University's James H. Quillen 
College of Medicine. She then became a family practice physician which 
helped her gain experience with fundamental practices that are used in 
public health.
  In 2004, Dr. Buchanan joined the Knox County Health Department as the 
assistant public health officer. Two years later she was promoted to 
public health officer. In 2010, she took on the role as the 
department's director. She has served in that role for the past 12 
years.
  Dr. Buchanan has certainly earned her retirement from public life, 
but she will continue to work. She plans to start her own consulting 
company to help businesses develop strategies to help them stay 
prepared for health-related emergencies.
  I thank Dr. Buchanan for her dedication to Knox County's public 
health policy for so many years. I wish her the best of luck as she 
starts this new chapter in her life.
  It is not in my notes, Madam Speaker, when I was Knox County mayor, 
she would always come into our staff meetings and tell us about which 
restaurants they were going to have to close down. Dadgummit, 2 weeks 
in a row, both the restaurants that she closed down were restaurants 
that I had just eaten at the day before. Ironically, I never got sick. 
So I am not sure about all that.


               Honoring Sergeant Rick Lee, American Hero

  Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, I also rise to honor Sergeant Rick Lee, 
an American hero who served during the Vietnam war.
  Sergeant Lee enlisted in the Army on January 19, 1966. He attended 
basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and received his 
advance individual training at Fort Rucker to become a helicopter 
mechanic.

[[Page H4806]]

  After initial training, he was sent to Bien Hwah, Vietnam, as a 
member of the 118th Assault Helicopter Company. He was promoted to a 
crew chief and worked on Huey helicopters after 3 months and was 
eventually promoted to E-5 sergeant. He flew on a wide variety of 
missions from troop transport to supplies drops, and on many of the 
missions he was also the door gunner. In 1967, he returned to the 
United States and served at Fort Steward, Georgia, until he was 
discharged in January of 1969.
  Sergeant Lee was originally from Minnesota, but while stationed at 
Fort Steward he was invited to go home with a member of his unit to 
Sevierville where he met a beautiful young woman who would later become 
his wife. They were married in March of 1968 and have been together for 
54 wonderful years. They have three sons who are his pride and joy.
  Sergeant Lee also loves the Lord with all his heart, and his faith in 
God is incredibly important to him. He has been a faithful member of 
the Grace Baptist Church for 21 years. Our country's heroes are the men 
and women of our Armed Forces, Madam Speaker, like Sergeant Lee, and I 
rise to honor him as Tennessee's Second District's May 2022 Veteran of 
the Month.

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