Thursday, May 21, 2009

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
Floor Statement on LTC John H. Burson III, MD
Remarks as Delivered on the Senate Floor

Mr. President, I thank the Senator for yielding and also rise in recognition of Lieutenant Colonel Burson and his incredible life story. Lieutenant Colonel Burson volunteered for reserve duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom at the age of 70 in order to relieve active-duty doctors so they could carry out other duties. To this end, he searched nationwide for military units in need of a medical doctor and even delayed the celebration of his 50th wedding anniversary for his upcoming deployment with the medical unit of the Indiana National Guard.

Lieutenant Colonel Burson was assigned as medical officer for the U.S. Embassy in Iraq from November 2005 to March 2006 and served as one of the doctors overseeing treatment of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. During this time, he was part of the team that successfully convinced Hussein to end his hunger strike. He did this while also performing surgery and treating patients at a nearby trauma/emergency care unit. Lieutenant Colonel Burson was 71 by the time he completed this deployment.

At such a point in life, many men and women are well into their retirements. However, after his first deployment to Iraq, Lieutenant Colonel Burson instead renewed his search for a combat arms unit in need of a doctor during the 2007 troop surge in Iraq. He served an additional deployment with an Army Reserve military police battalion from Raleigh, NC, from August 2007 to November 2007 at age 73.

Today, as we stand before you on this floor, this extraordinary American will have just returned home after his third combat deployment. At 75 years of age, he has just completed another full tour, this time in Afghanistan.