 |
MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Jun '84
John Charles Geary No. 15952 Class of 1946
Died 31 January 1982 in Florissant, Missouri, aged 60 years.
Interment: National Cemetery, Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis,
Missouri |
John Charles Geary was born in West Hazelton, Pennsylvania,
on 22 July 1921, the son of Charles and Mary Geary. John was
a devout Catholic, and died of a heart attack while attending
Mass. He graduated from West Hazelton High School in 1939 and
enlisted in the Regular Army in October 1939. He attained the
rank of master sergeant during his assignment in the Panama Canal
Zone, and won a competitive appointment to West Point in 1943.
As a cadet he was assigned to Company B2 and attained the rank
of battalion supply officer. He earned a varsity letter as a
member of the track team. John received his commission in the
Artillery on 4 June 1946, and married Rita G. Dowgala 22 June
1946.
During the ensuing thirty-four years of selfless,
dedicated service, spanning three wars, two of which he flew
in combat, his personal contributions to the Army he dearly loved
continued to grow. His first assignment after West Point took
John to the Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and Fort
Bliss, Texas, then to paratroop training at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Upon completion he was assigned to Japan for three years with
the 753 Anti-Aircraft Artillery Gun Battalion. When he returned
to the States in 1950, he was assigned to the 95th Anti-Aircraft
Artillery Gun Battalion, Fort Lewis, Washington. He applied after
six months there for Army flight training and was assigned to
San Marcos, Texas. He qualified as an Army aviator and transferred
to Ordnance to get into aviation maintenance and supply. After
attending the Ordnance School he transferred to the Transportation
Corps when that aviation responsibility was reassigned there.
After two years in the Office of the Chief of Transportation
he attended the University of Michigan where he earned a Master
of Science Degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1956. He was
then assigned as Director of Flight Test Division of the Army's
Transportation Aircraft Test and Support Activity, Fort Rucker,
Alabama. While at Fort Rucker, John helped pioneer the Army's
logistics test concept of accelerated "lead the fleet"
testing. For his achievement and significant contribution to
the operational upgrading of the helicopter fleet, John and his
organization were awarded the prestigious William J. Kossler
award by the American Helicopter Society in 1959.
John graduated from the United States Air Force
Test Pilot School in 1961 and became one of Army aviation's first
qualified and experienced engineering test pilots.
In 1961 John was assigned to the CH-47 Project
Manager's office in St. Louis and served there until 1965 when
he became the Military Assistant to the Director for Tactical
Aircraft Systems in the Office, Director of Defense and Engineering,
with duties pertaining to helicopter and vertical takeoff and
landing developments for all services. John's overseas assignments
included tours of duty in Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.
He was a Master Army Aviator and logged flight
time in thirty-five different types of fixed wing aircraft and
twenty different types of helicopters. At the time of his retirement
In November 1973, John was Director, Research, Development and
Engineering, Aviation Systems Command, St. Louis, Missouri. After
retirement he was employed by Hughes Helicopters, until his death
in January 1982, as manager of the St. Louis, Missouri office,
the company's direct link to the Army's AH-64A APACHE Helicopter
Program Office.
His awards consist of the Legion of Merit, Air
Medal with clusters, and the Joint Service Commendation Medal.
He is survived by his wife Rita, and three children,
John Jr., Sharon, and Thomas.
To all of you who knew and loved him, be assured
that he is in the hands of the Lord.
Rita Geary, Wife.
|