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1999 SESSION

996293340
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 893
Offered February 25, 1999
On the death of Burdette Shields Wright, Jr.
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Patrons-- May and Black; Senator: Mims
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WHEREAS, Burdette Shields Wright, Jr., a decorated veteran of World War II, a former journalist and employee of the Central Intelligence Agency, and a prominent and respected member of the Loudoun County arts community, died on October 2, 1998; and

WHEREAS, a native of Washington, D.C., Burdette Wright was a graduate of the Nichols School in Buffalo, New York, and attended Kenyon College prior to joining the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942; and

WHEREAS, a bombardier with the Eighth Air Force, Burdette Wright was shot down over Europe, taken prisoner by the Germans, spent 17 months in captivity, and was liberated shortly before VE Day by the Russian Army; and

WHEREAS, Burdette Wright, who was awarded the Bronze Medal and the Purple Heart, resumed his education at Georgetown University, then became a reporter and assistant editor for the American Aviation Publishing Company and the Globe Press Syndicate; and

WHEREAS, Burdette Wright served in the Central Intelligence Agency for nearly 20 years, then was congressional liaison for Los Angeles County before retiring to Loudoun County in 1984; and

WHEREAS, a talented artist, Burdette Wright became a popular and respected member of the Loudoun artistic community and at one time offered to donate land for a proposed Loudoun Arts Center; and

WHEREAS, Burdette Wright was a member of the St. Andrew’s Society and the Loudoun Arts Council and was a founding member of the Scotch Irish Society in Virginia; and

WHEREAS, a man of vast experience and unique talent, Burdette Wright will be sorely missed by his countless friends, admirers, and colleagues in Loudoun County; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly note with sadness the passing of Burdette Shields Wright, Jr.; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Burdette Shields Wright, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.