CHARLIE NORWOOD

'Charles Whitlow Norwood, Jr.' (July 27 1941 – February 13 2007) was an American politician and dentist, serving as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 until his death. At the time of his death, Norwood was the Representative of the 10th District of Georgia [1].

Contents

Early life and education

Military service

Congressional campaigns

Congressional career

Illness and Death

References

External links

Early life and education

Born in Valdosta, Georgia, Norwood graduated from Baylor School, then a military academy, in Chattanooga, TN. He then attended Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.. Norwood was a dentist before entering the House.
At Baylor, Norwood was involved in a gun accident where he shot and killed a close friend as the two were playing quick-draw with what they thought was an unloaded pistol. The accident convinced the advocate for gun rights that education and training were the best gun control, not restrictions.
He married his wife, Gloria, in 1962. They had two sons, Charles and Carlton.

Military service

Norwood served as a Captain in the United States Army from 1967 to 1969, beginning with an assignment to the U.S. Army Dental Corps at Sandia Army Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 1968 he was transferred to the Medical Battalion of the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam, and served a combat tour at Quin Yon, An Khe, and LZ English at Bon Son. During his tour, he participated in experimental military dental practices that are now standard procedure for the armed forces. Norwood was one of the first participants in the Army's outreach program that delivered dentists to forward firebases in lieu of transferring patients to rear treatment areas. He provided some of the first field-based dental treatment of military guard dogs, and assisted in non-dental trauma care in Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals.
In recognition of his service under combat conditions, Norwood was awarded the Combat Medical Badge and two Bronze Stars. After Vietnam, Norwood was assigned to the Dental Corps at Fort Gordon, Georgia, where he served until his discharge in 1969. He remained a member of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Military Order of the World Wars until his death.

Congressional campaigns

In 1994, as a relative unknown, Norwood defeated Democratic incumbent Clete Donald Johnson, Jr., becoming the first Republican to represent his northeastern Georgia district since Reconstruction.
In 2004, Norwood received 74 percent of the vote against Democrat Bob Ellis. In 2006, he received 68 percent of the vote against Democrat Terry Holley.

Congressional career

He was a staunch supporter of tight immigration control, and "called for putting nearly 40,000 troops on the U.S.-Mexico border. He co-wrote a provision to the recent Deficit Reduction Act that bars illegal aliens from getting Medicaid."^[1]
The ''Washington Post'' wrote the following in a summary of his career:

Illness and Death

In 2004, Norwood underwent a lung transplant due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. In December 2006 he underwent chemotherapy for cancer, which had spread to his liver. The disease was believed to be caused by the immunosuppressants Norwood had to take due to the lung transplant. After the reconvening of Congress in January 2007, Norwood missed most of the sessions due to weakness from the chemotherapy.^[2]
During the State of the Union address on January 23 2007, President George W. Bush noted Congressman Norwood's absence from the Hall of the House and extended his thoughts for a speedy recovery.^[3]
On February 7, Norwood's office announced that he was forgoing further treatment for his cancer, and would be returning to Augusta in order to receive in-home hospice care.^[4]
Norwood died nearly one week later, on February 13. At approximately 2:02 PM Eastern time on the day of his death, a few moments of silence were observed for Norwood on the House floor. This moment of silence was repeated at 2:21 PM, at the behest of a delegation of Congressmen from Georgia. Norwood was survived by his wife, 2 children, and 4 grandchildren. Bush said he and his wife Laura were saddened by Norwood's death. "Charlie was a good friend and a strong, spirited legislator who always stuck to his principles, remembering that his duty was to represent the best interests of the citizens of his district," Bush said in a written statement released by the White House.

References

1.
Charles Norwood; Ga. Congressman Pushed for Patients' Bill of Rights Patricia Sullivan

2. Rep. Norwood sicker than expected with extended chemotherapy
3. President Bush's 2007 State of the Union Address George W. Bush
4. Norwood Declines Further Hospital Treatment, Returns to Augusta Home John Stone

External links

★ U.S. Representative Charlie Norwood 'official House site'

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★ Federal Election Commission — Charlie Norwood campaign finance reports and data

★ On the Issues — Charlie Norwood issue positions and quotes

★ OpenSecrets.org — Charles W. Norwood campaign contributions

★ Project Vote Smart — Representative Charles W. 'Charlie' Norwood Jr. (GA) profile

★ SourceWatch Congresspedia — Charlie Norwood profile

★ Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Charlie Norwood voting record