32874 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS November 20, 1985 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS BACON CRUSTY BUT BIG <anti-aircraft) was shipped off to Camp Every time Bacon ran, parties unknown HEARTED Stewart, near Hinesville. got out rap sheets against him, usually Bacon amassed a fine war record, being charging B.acon changed jobs a lot, wasn't decorated and getting a battlefield commis­ an articulate speaker or proper dresser. HON.GEORGE(BUDDY)DARDEN sion in Battle of the Bulge while serving Those digs didn't bother Arthur. OF GEORGIA with the 78th Infantry Division. Bacon was The one that did was the cut that while taken prisoner one day, then helped impris­ American Legion manager, he wasn't good IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES on his captors the next. at tending bar. "Hell, how does that fellow Wednesday, November 20, 1985 Directing fire from an observation post on know?" snorted Arthur. "I've never poured a column of German tanks, Bacon's outfit him a drink." Mr. DARDEN. Mr. Speaker, Georgia's suddenly was surrounded by enemy troops, "There isn't anything I've every done that Seventh District lost a distinguished citizen disarmed and imprisoned in a big pillbox. I'm ashamed of," he replied. "There isn't recently with the death of Arthur T. Bacon, When the battle tide switched the next anything I've done that most folks in mayor of the city of Smyrna. morning, Bacon and his captain, Alvin Smyrna don't already know about." I had the honor of serving Mayor Bacon Murphy, who spoke German, persuaded the That kind of simple honesty marked the first as district attorney of Cobb County, Nazis that all would be killed in the pillbox man. if the Germans didn't surrender to them. So Arthur was a crusty individual, but under­ then as a member of the Georgia House of the entire company of Germans then capit­ Representatives and, finally, in the U.S. neath that veneer was a colorful, friendly, ulated. big-hearted man who would do anything for House of Representatives. Several weeks later, Bacon was decorated you. As mayor, he'd listen to you. Mayor Bacon truly was an outstanding and promoted from staff sergeant to second When St. Peter greeted Arthur at the community leader, serving three terms as lieutenant. Pearly Gates Saturday night, Arthur prob­ mayor of Smyrna, two terms on the Bacon was wounded in action three times. ably stuck out one of his over-sized hands, Smyrna City Council and several years on On once occasion, he was sent to Paris for smiled and exclaimed: "Damm glad to meet rest and relaxation. Knowing fellow Smyr­ you Pete." the Cobb County Zoning Board. In each nan Capt. James Pressley was there, Bacon office, he worked tirelessly to benefit the set out to find him one night. people he served. Noting a staff car with his old anti-air­ SMYRNA BURIES BACON And, as one of Mayor Bacon's friends craft symbol on the side, Arthur hailed it, <By Salynn Boyles) said just after his death, "He didn't change stuck his head in the window and nearly Shortly before his death Arthur Bacon for anybody • • • Arthur was just Arthur." rubbed noses with an angry colonel. left his pastor instructions on how his fu­ To better acquaint Members of the House Using the same persuasion that later got neral was to be conducted-he wanted it of Representatives with the spirit and per­ him elected to public office five times, kept short. Bacon got the colonel to put him in touch "He instructed me that when the last sonality of Mayor Bacon, I would like to with Pressley. submit two articles from the Marietta Daily At war's end, Bacon married Dorothy Mo­ person walked in and was seated on the Journal. front pew the people in the last pew should seley, an Army nurse. Being a first lieuten­ start getting up to leave," the Rev. AI Tur­ BACON CRUSTY BUT BIG-HEARTED ant, she outranked Bacon. It wasn't until Bacon was recalled in 1950 and promoted to nell told the standing-room-only crowd <Editor's Note: The following remem­ captain during the Korean War that he fi­ packed into the Smyrna First United Meth­ brance of Smyrna Mayor Arthur Bacon was nally outranked his wife. odist Church. written by Marietta Daily Journal Associate Bacon's good wife, to whom he was loyal Under a gray sky and light rain, about Editor Bill Kinney, who attended Marietta and devoted, nobly lectured Arthur for 1,300 local dignitaries, friends and family High School with Bacon in the late 1930's.) years about smoking, tippling and swear­ members gathered Monday afternoon to say The girls at Marietta High School called ing-all to no avail. goodbye to Mayor Arthur Tripplett Bacon­ Arthur Bacon "Shirley" because he had Dorothy blames me for getting Arthur a man who lived in and served the city of pretty, curly blond hair like child star Shir­ into the 1976 mayor's race. Bacon invited Smyrna for the greater part of his life. ley Temple. me to come by his house to see his flourish­ Bacon died Saturday night at Kennestone The boys addressed him as "Mr. Arthur" ing vegetable garden and his bees. Hospital after a seven-month battle with because at 22, he was the oldest senior on "This garden about stands between us and lung cancer. He was 68. campus and could handle us all. starving," allowed Bacon, adding jokingly, The service, held to just under 40 minutes, Arthur lettered in four sports and in 1939 "I'm too proud to take welfare and too included references to Bacon's caustic wit was named by the student body as "Mr. scared to steal." This was at the height of and unpretentious style. M.H.S." the real estate crunch and Bacon's firm "Arthur was one of those people for whom Marietta then was the only high school in wasn't moving much property. we shall keep tears in our eyes and a smile the county having a football team, and Ar­ "Get into politics again and run for on our lips long past today," Turnell said. thur's $10 monthly tuition-charged stu­ mayor," I said tongue in cheek. "I'll put in Arthur Bacon was always Arthur Bacon, dents living outside Marietta-was paid by my column you're thinking about running." Turnell told the mayor's friends, whether "Friends Of The Blue Devils." Clothier When the column appeared, Bacon's phones he was talking to a preacher or a fishing Johnny Walker and shoe store owner started ringing and he decided to run, much buddy. Luther Coggins dressed Arthur and other to his wife's chagrin. "We ministers go through much of our gridders free. When Bacon ran again for mayor in 1981 life being held out by people," Turnell said. Smyrnans of that era who played on Mari­ after a self-imposed four year layoff, he "Often times when we enter a room we can etta athletic teams were Max Parnell, Bill faced a tough foe. Arthur engaged public re­ hear people say, 'watch it boys here comes Reed, David Settle, Bill Lemmon and Albert lations expert Parks Rusk to run his cam­ the preacher'-not Arthur Bacon. I thank Brawner. They rode the trolley or hitch­ paign. him for letting me, his pastor, into his life hiked from Smyrna. Election day, a worried Rusk asked me to where he really lived." Like many other depression time boys, accompany him on a visit to Arthur's head­ Turnell hailed Bacon as a great civic Bacon enlisted in the Marietta National quarters in mid-afternoon. "Where's leader who dealt as effectively with the Guard unit. A private drew $17 for the twice Arthur?" Rusk asked an aide. "In the back upper echelon as the common man. monthly drills. That was a lot of bread in room," the aide replied, pointing out a "He belonged to this community in a the late '30s. closed door. unique way," Turnell said of the man who Arthur went from Marietta High to Og­ Expecting to find Bacon mapping last­ served three terms as mayor from 1976-78 lethorpe College on a football scholarship. minute vote-getting strategy, upon entering and from 1982 until he died. Bacon also Shortly afterward, Hitler invaded Poland we found Arthur sound asleep in a big served on the Smyrna City Council from and Arthur's 214th Coast Artillery Unit rocker! 1970 until 1973 and was on the county plan- e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by the Member of the Senate on the floor. Boldface type indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. November 20, 1985 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 32875 ning and zoning board for four years in the Hospital's derelict policy which makes that had been started about a year ago at early 1970s. At the time of his death, he emergency patients wait an unreasonable City Hospital. owned a real estate firm with partner Bill amount of time for medical treatment. Under the system, he said, a patient comes into the emergency room and is guided im­ Moore of Smyrna. As the representative of the congression­ "He was a leader who knew how to lead in mediately to a triage nurse who gives the simple ways, powerful ways and honest al district where this unconscionable patient a number and directs him to a ways." scheme is unfolding, I am appalled that nearby chair.