George Wright Ferguson – Lieutenant Colonel, United States Air Force

From a contemporary press report:

COLUMBUS, Ohio, December 2, 1997. A funeral will be held Thursday for George Wright Ferguson of Worthington, whose book on traveling by rail earned him the nickname “Mr. Eurail” within the travel industry.

Ferguson, 77, died Sunday at a Columbus hospital. He had suffered two aortic aneurysms and strokes in 1993.

He co-authored “Europe by Eurail: How to Tour Europe by Train” with his wife, LaVerne. The book’s 22nd edition was released this week. They also wrote “Britain by BritRail,” now in its 14th edition.

The Fergusons opened Rail Pass Express in Worthington in 1986. Today, it’s the largest rail pass outlet in the United States.

Mr. Ferguson took his first European train ride during World War II on a freight car called a “40-and-8” because it could carry 40 soldiers and eight horses.

He was a test pilot and engineering officer during the war. He later was assigned to military duty in Korea, Japan and Vietnam and at the Pentagon.

Mr. Ferguson left military service to work at Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, where he was international coordinator for several laboratories.

In addition to his wife, Ferguson is survived by a son, Sandy, and stepson, Matthew Palma.

Burial is scheduled for December 9, 1997 in Arlington National Cemetery.

Michael Robert Patterson

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