armenian june july decorated member united_states_army served decades fought world war korean war vietnam war following graduation entered army second lieutenant june world war served infantry took operation torch battle pass captured german troops prisoner war seven months korean war commanded infantry battalion stationed acted advisor vietnam war undertook advisory duties working serving inspector general general retired colonel decorated armenian americans serve united_states_army awards include combat silver stars air medal received medal post office home town virginia named colonel post office building honor early life born massachusetts june youngest son armenian parents george father ottoman turkey mother earliest graduates completing studies served minor official local turkish government village near invited work persian recalled turkish government serve supervisor villages region felt secure future subsequently fled united_states family arriving november consequently family come united_states found job johnson arms cycle works worcester massachusetts instrumental establishment january returned married daughter returned united_states rejoined johnson arms cycle works company grew attended local schools graduated continued education graduating bachelor degree science journalism military service studying undertook military training reserve officers training corps graduation commissioned second lieutenant united_states_army june assigned administrative officer camp massachusetts helped build national park leaving active service intended study law washington father died gave plan returned reunite mother assist brother law dry cleaning business year passing government exam fbi took search wanted list volunteered active service called active duty fort massachusetts promoted rank lieutenant november given command man company reorganization february promoted captain sent camp florida moving georgia pennsylvania additional training combat readiness evaluation august boarded queen mary soldiers shipped europe world war north african campaign soldiers 1st believed american troops shipped european theater war division landed near glasgow scotland proceeded british_army base near london continue training assistant plans operations officer regimental staff went scotland train took operation torch 26th infantry regiment commanded allies organized amphibious task forces aimed seize key ports airfields morocco algeria simultaneously targeting unit task force invaded port landing november primary objective confront commanded secondary objective support advance italian forces eventually broke german resistance scaled mount fell allies november unit advanced east tunisia reaching algeria tunisia border january task force met resistance german italian troops german prisoner war fighting continued assigned headquarters attempting save life fellow soldier following heavy fighting captured german troops tunisia january described capture follows intelligence officers gone check situation word came wounded officer went found dead came fire couldn drag telling driver return command post investigated conditions soldiers thought right hadn heard overrun germans having lost glasses distinguish soldiers approaching feet away soldiers germans took prisoner said capture irritated shouldn later learned prisoner war awarded rescue attempt days promoted major germany spent seven months held camps italy poland germany interrogated sent flown naples planes flew low altitude described flew feet mediterranean afraid flew higher american fighter planes knowing inside shoot sent british camp der remained june transferred poland british provided americans necessary advice camp life shared rations clothing sent british process digging escape tunnel requested help americans later describe operation volunteered friend shut wood prank look wonder nights think break cold sweat able summon tunnel feet long extended underground barbed wire fence charge wanted opening come ground level steep near bank way tunnel broken open seen guards towers tunnel feet high feet wide lighting tunnel provided makeshift candles prisoners improvised digging tools constructed british cans handles wooden beds create pipe fresh air funnel tunnel assistance hand fan entrance tunnel wooden base slide easily tunnel floor haul described method dispose sand method conceal sand ingenious sand poured bags red_cross parcel passed rapidly makeshift fire brigade line building attic dumped outer inner walls wide space literally tons sand disposed space filled tunnel completed american transferred poland estimated tunnel dug feet reach destination bank american pretended sick order remain camp continue working tunnel ultimately escape americans eventually rejoined rest american relayed news tunnel discovered german guards learned existence planting spy poland spent nineteen half seven months imprisonment camp undertook leisure activities including staging plays playing music reading athletics learning languages editor monthly newspaper published assistance guard owned local printing shop newspaper featured stories home cartoons pictures pin girls articles camp sports activities june american held party anniversary camp party coincided normandy landings germans suspected american purposely planned party prior knowledge allied invasion commandant called higher headquarters advice assistance eventually searched americans rooms evidence outside communication shared brother law given officer undertaking search soon distracted germany january german troops moved westward germany avoid soviet advance east american transferred northeast berlin march course days traveled miles box cars according packed like time met armenian captain philadelphia armenian americans discovered soviet armenian gave food limited rations camp held american prisoners including son law lieutenant colonel attempting rescue waters military task force sent liberate camp task force arrived german guards fled camp task force vehicles evacuate camp escaped opening compound fence ran frankfurt hoping reach american lines german patrol captured immediately sent later remarked tired depressed alive held americans began bombardment city describes moment words cheering guards getting irritated bombs came sure going killed thinking mother ironic killed end war aircraft surviving bombardment camp near munich germans gave opportunity return wounded soldiers obtain treatment agreed closer american lines april american troops secured subsequently freed described event germans tried wounded british erected sign gate saying plague kept days later overran liberated flown paris france presented military post requested financial assistance official identification refused officer knew george older brother richard lived recognized george confirmed richard brother given provisions needed post world war returning united_states war appointment regular army ultimately promoted lieutenant colonel reported pentagon duty army chief staff pentagon assigned assistant secretary secretary chief staff army responsibilities included supporting british americans preparing tour duty pentagon attended army command regular month course kansas assignment staff faculty georgia remained summer school took airborne training qualified assigned alaska commandant memory having spent world war requested orders changed alaska korea united_states forces engaged combat operations united_nations forces committed korean war request approved summer sent combat zone korean war assigned battalion commander commanded 32nd infantry regiment final winter war chinese attempted overcome main line resistance capture series hills battalion assigned carry counterattack foot high hill known old action later known chinese offensive came halt reorganized forces command sent companies lieutenant second attack retake hill regained quarter march ordered lieutenant attack northeast enemy forces halted advance members trapped right flank requested tank support demolish chinese free troops company night march received orders regimental commander colonel withdraw forces east heavy fighting took place later famous movie starring actor chinese force grew numerically superior americans ordered withdraw efforts successful withdrawal troops awarded second silver star gallantry end war june transferred seoul assisted prisoner war exchange took place missions iran new_york france assigned logistics officer iran chief promoted colonel principal logistics officer supervised officers advising general officers serving technical service department chiefs additionally office responsible managing annual input military material construction iranian armed forces time iran met number kept touch rest life mission iran visited father birthplace article later wrote trip entitled revisited appeared april issue wrote tried vain locate parents home community alive hand dead bleak landscape debris stood college schools churches shops homes grave pray souls came completing duties iran assumed role chief operations training headquarters army commanded installations new_england new_york new_jersey posting new_york cut short berlin crisis sent france join 1st merged transferred command serving chief plans operations training vietnam war tours duty new_york france volunteered fight vietnam late spring arrived august took posting deputy senior advisor army republic vietnam stationed months assigned headquarters vietnam serve inspector general general commander duties traveled inspection visits military installations officers quarters found restaurant san_francisco kept rest life service vietnam war awarded air medal returned united_states august posted headquarters washington deputy chief staff operations training army assignment retirement years served chairman chiefly responsible planning carrying arrangements participation military services inauguration president january post retirement army retired army april awarded legion merit retirement settled arlington virginia worked graduate director years attained master degree business public administration honors age member veterans organizations including veterans foreign wars disabled american veterans american prisoners war served term vice president commander american prisoners war appointed year term possible attended annual annual national conventions american organization appointed newly established daily newspaper community service prominent figure armenian community served local mary eastern diocese served subsequently year term member helped organize memorial service armenian american veterans graves armenian american veterans spanning period spanish american war vietnam war decorated volunteered local schools continuously stressed importance public service shared experiences students personal life august married widow lieutenant company commanders marriage ended divorce married second wife armenian syria son named daughter named graduated master degree international transactions later commissioned second lieutenant gregory son previous marriage lives massachusetts cousin medal honor recipient received award serving world war second marriage wife visited countries including lebanon egypt italy france spain homeland armenia family moved virginia remained rest life died july funeral held mary washington buried prisoner war section arlington national cemetery recognition awarded pastor recognition award bestowed dedication armenian community featured documentary series americans war episode documentary series features veteran defining moment time armed services ceremony marking seventy fourth anniversary washington armenian community armenia ambassador united_states doctor expressed appreciation colonel contributions armenian community congratulated lifetime achievements april recognized heroism honorable service united_states following death july virginia senator wrote understanding colonel highly decorated armenian american veterans serve united_states_army sure dedication serving armenian american community missed contribution remembered president barack_obama signed house resolution 2nd session congress designated post office virginia colonel post office building renaming ceremony celebrated post office day attended friends family politicians veterans members armenian community attendees included congressman virginia delegate member ceremony letters appreciation read senator presidential candidate military awards decorations military awards decorations include citation citation second published general orders july reads lieutenant colonel infantry united_states_army member headquarters distinguished gallantry action near korea period march march colonel led battalion counterattack strong enemy positions colonel advanced foremost elements battalion entire conflict attack battalion encountered field blocking route approach col complete disregard personal safety placed unit led field exposing enemy moved position position colonel remained position direct operations finally led element command position gallantry displayed keeping highest traditions military service entered federal service massachusetts published works wrote journals concerning armenian military topics writings include revisited armenian review spring april recounts visit father native village turkey didn shoot september depicts battles korean war journey new armenian review spring describes visit armenian populated town iran concludes town lost importance east east west west fall vol recounts visit family armenian family received japan life save spring vol
George Juskalian