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| George Bernard Shaffer
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| NO. 17466 •
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Died 5 September 1985 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, aged 57 years.
Interment: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.
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George Bernard Shaffer - soldier, professional, competitor, athlete, student, leader, friend, husband, father, gentleman, gentle man - in short, a man of "character."
There are few things in the totality of a person's life more significant
or revealing than "character" - character in the sense of integrity,
courage, morality, principle, sense of humor, diligence, perseverance, hunger
to learn, and the ability to love and to be loved. George Shaffer epitomized
all these traits and set a lofty example for others. We loved him, we liked
him, we respected him, we remember him, and we miss him very much.
One of four brothers, George knew firsthand the mills and farms of
western Pennsylvania. He entered the Naval Aviation V-5 program at
Princeton University, then won a competitive appointment to the Academy. While
at West Point, his interests and successes were broad and varied. West Point is
where he developed loyal friends, honed professional skills, increased his love
of learning, learned how to play golf, and perhaps most important - met
Bev Carlson.
His military service as an officer in the Army Corps of Engineers spanned
over 20 years. During that time, he commanded engineer troop units from platoon
to battalion, served three tours of duty in Korea (the Korean War, advisor to
the ROK Army, and commander of the famous 44th Engineers, better known as the
"Broken Heart Battalion"). He was most proud of civil service
projects such as the construction of the bridge over the Han River in Korea and
support for the Boy Scouts of America in Arkansas. He also served in Germany, the
Louisville District, Chief of Engineers Office, and the Army school system
through Command and General Staff College.
George retired from the Army with many decorations and citations, an
outstanding professional reputation, and a lovely family on 6 August 1970, with
the rank of colonel. After retirement, he added computer programming and
electronic repair to his repertoire. Through a correspondence course, he built
his own TV set - and it workedl
His love affair with beautiful, lively, intelligent, devoted Bev -
a perfect Army wife -- lasted until 27 February 1980, when Bev died
after a courageous and difficult fight with cancer. A devoted couple, they
fought Bev's last battle together. Born to the marriage were Sue and Scott. Bev
and George are also survived by Sue's husband, Steven Rosenfeld, Scott's wife
Karen, and five grandchildren - Sue's Beverly, Jennifer, and Samantha,
and Scott's Lindsay and Kelsey.
After retirement, George continued in the construction field which he
learned so well during high school, the Academy, and, of course, in the Corps
of Engineers. His master's degree in civil engineering from Texas A & M
added to this impressive background. His construction accomplishments still
stand today as a monument to this skilled professional engineer. These include
the Beargrass Creek Pumping Plant in Louisville, Kentucky; a mammoth tank and
artillery shop at Fort Knox, Kentucky; the Half-and-Half and Babicz
Bridges near the Demilitarized Zone in Korea; family housing in Korea; and
civilian housing he built in northern Virginia after his retirement from the
Army.
Following the anguish of and difficult
struggle with Bev's illness and death, George moved from Virginia to
Fort Lauderdale to pick up the pieces and start a new life. Close
Army friends (mostly classmates) in the area enjoyed his companionship during the all-too-short time in Fort Lauderdale.
During these days of new challenge, rebuilding his life, and recovering from
the devastating loss of his beloved Bev, George was fortunate to meet Ruby
Wagner. Their dedication to one another never diminished Bev's memory in any
way. The manner in which the entire family and close friends welcomed and loved
Ruby while remembering Bev is a keen measure of George's character and Ruby's
as well.
While in Fort Lauderdale, George was a member of the well-known
Inverrary Country Club, home of the Jackie Gleason Golf Tournament. George made
his mark there also as an active, admired member of the Inverrary Men's Golf
Association and winner of more than his share of local tournaments. After his
death, the Association named an annual tournament in his honor. The Jackie
Gleason tournament is no longer played at Inverrary, but the George Bernard
Shaffer Memorial Tournament is.
George also was stricken with cancer early in 1985, and the illness
progressed all too rapidly in spite of his monumental courage and fight.
Throughout this agonizing period, he managed to maintain his keen, quiet, droll
sense of humor. I remember all too well asking him a few days before he died as
he lay in a hospital bed in terrible pain, "How do you feel?" The
grimace of pain on his face was momentarily replaced by his characteristic
smirk and the twinkle of mischief in his eyes as he replied, "I'd have to
feel lots better to feel lousy!" George's valiant struggle ended on 5
September 1985, with Sue, Scott, Ruby, other family, and several devoted
classmates on hand.
An ancient philosophy book poses the question, "Who is rich?"
and then offers answers such as:
He who has a good name.
He who helps his fellow man.
He who has a good woman.
He who is content with his lot.
Our dear friend, George Bernard Shaffer, was indeed the richest of men.
- E. C. West, his friend
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USMA 1950