‘He’s still alive!’
On March 15, an EF4 tornado tore through Walthall County, Mississippi, leveling homes and leaving a path of destruction. Among them was the home of 95-year-old Korean War Veteran Burdette Hansen—a man who had survived war but now faced a battle of a different kind.
Trapped beneath the wreckage, Hansen lay in silence. As the storm lifted, his family feared the worst as they approached what remained of the pool house he called home.
“He’s still alive!” Becky, his daughter-in-law, shouted. His grandson, Luke, began digging frantically, pushing aside debris until he reached him.
“I lifted him up like a baby,” Luke recalled. “I just knew I had to get him out.”
What really matters
Miraculously, Hansen escaped with only minor scratches and bruises. But the loss was overwhelming. His home, his garden, and nearly all his belongings were gone.
“It changes your perspective,” Becky reflected. “You realize material things don’t matter—family does.”
Despite their own devastation, neighbors arrived with chainsaws and heavy equipment, clearing debris without hesitation.
“No questions, no money—just people helping,” Luke said. “That’s what community is about.”
Volunteers delivered meals daily. “We have food, we have what we need, and we have each other,” Becky said. “That’s how we’re getting through this.”
Reflecting on his survival, Hansen shared his thoughts.
“I have to admit, I’m kind of a religious person,” he said. “I often wonder why I’m still here.” He went on to describe the shock of finding his four Bibles among the wreckage—completely dry, untouched by the storm.
“That was one of the real surprises,” he said. “It shows you how real He is.”
In the days following the tornado, an outreach team from G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center and the South-Central VA Health Care Network Emergency Management team conducted door-to-door outreach to locate Veterans in need of assistance. As the VA team stopped at a local gas station to refuel their vehicle, Hansen’s family recognized the VA seal on their truck and approached them, inviting them to see the destruction firsthand.
“It was humbling to witness the devastation, but even more powerful to see the strength of this family,” said social worker Victoria Simms. As she spoke with Hansen’s family about the challenges ahead, she began working with his family to enroll him in VA health care, making sure he had the support he needed.
“Burdette has served his country, and now it’s our turn to serve him,” Simms said. “This is what VA is here for.”
Now Burdette is preparing to transition into assisted living.
“I have to wonder why I’m still here,” Hansen reflected. But to his family, the answer is clear: love. The love that lifted him from the rubble, the love that surrounds him now, and the love that will carry him forward.