George U. Strosnider, age 84, passed away on November 28, 2007 at Hospice of Golden Isles, Georgia. He is survived by his wife, Suzanne; and his daughter, Janice (Larry) Lamattina, all of St. Simon Island, Georgia. He also leaves behind two step-sons, Phil (Julie) Currie of Altanta, Georgia, and Doug (Sharon) Currie of Savannah, Georgia; a step-daughter, Emily Moses of St. Simons; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a step-son, Sandy (Linda) Currie, formerly of Auburn, Illinois.
Born in Kansas City, Kansas, “Stro” graduated from Wentworth Military Academy with an engineering degree. He then spent 22 years in the Army, retiring as Lieutenant Colonel. In World War II, serving with the 28th Infantry Division, he landed on Utah Beach on his 21st birthday, proceeded to the Battle of Mortain, France, where he was awarded the Croix du Combattant, a Bronze Star for Valor and Purple Heart. He was at the Liberation of Paris and Luxembourg, where he was awarded the Croix de Guerre. He fought at Huertgen Forest (second Purple Heart) and the Battle of the Bulge (Croix de Guerre, Presidential Citation) and the Colmar Pocket (Croix de Lorraine). After serving with Luxembourg, where he was awarded the Croix de Guerre.
After serving with the Constabulary during the Berlin Airlift, George was assigned to the U.S. Counterintelligence Corps where he was a Special Agent in Korea, receiving his 6th cluster to the Meritorious Unit Citation and 3rd cluster to his Bronze Star. After returning to the U.S., he was Officer in Charge of Covert Operations for the Western United States.
Returning to Europe in 1959, he served with the U.S. Army Europe Advance Headquarters Battle group when the Berlin Wall went up and with U.S. forces in the Congo in 1960. He retired at Fort Ord, California.
Stro’s civilian career included 21 years with Anchor Savings Assn. in Kansas, where he was Senior Vice President supervising branches in seven states and was on the board of Crest Financial Corporation and Capital Mortgage Corporation. After retirement, he worked for EG&G Dynatrend Auditing evaluating property seized by various government agencies.
He was a 32 degree/KCCH Mason, with a dual membership in the Country Club Lodge of Kansas City, Missouri and the Lodge on St. Simon Island. As a Scottish Rite member with the lodge in Savannah, he attended a leadership conference in Williamsburg, participated in several reunion rituals, had a speaking part in a Ring Ceremony, and was President of the Scottish Rite of S.E. Georgia/Brunswick in 2000 and 2001. He was also a Member of Perpetuity of the National Sojourners for whom he gave a “Loyalty Day” speech at the Beaufort, South Carolina, National Cemetery.
Funeral service will be held 1 p.m., Wednesday, February 6, 2008 at Memorial Chapel at Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D.C. Burial will follow at Arlington National Cemetery with Full Military Honors.
The family requests that donations be made to Disabled American Veterans, PO Box 14301, Cincinnati, Ohio 45250 or Hospice of Golden Isles, Brunswick, Georgia
Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.
Reviewed by: Michael Howard