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GEORGE STERLING GUY, JR., the son of
George Sterling Guy, Sr., and Evelyn Cayce
Guy, was born in the Vanderbilt Hospital,
Nashville, TN, on 27 Apr 1931. The Guy
family, which included his brother Charles
Brandon Guy, lived in Cherokee Park in
western Nashville until George departed for
West Point in 1950. His daughter’s account
of his early life shows that he was a typical boy
of that day and age, spending time with his
family, on fishing trips, collecting stamps, and
building model airplanes. In high school, he
was a member of the National Honor Society,
the Junior Kiwanis Key Club, and ROTC.
George attended Vanderbilt University for
one year before entering West Point.
Arriving at the Academy, George was assigned
to Company M-2 and his companymates
became his second family for the remainder
of his life. He is remembered for his
good cheer, his consideration for others, and
his desire to always do his best by those who
knew him.
Following graduation, George married
Nancy Lynn Powers in the Methodist church
in Mt. Pocono, PA. Their first of many moves
was to Columbus, GA, where George began
his military career at Ft. Benning’s Infantry
Officers Basic Course and the Airborne School.
He and Lynn then moved to Ft. Campbell,
KY, where he was a platoon leader in the 11th
Airborne Division. In 1956, the division was
transferred to Germany, but George remained
at Ft. Campbell as a platoon leader and company
executive officer in the 101st Airborne
Division. At Ft. Campbell, two children,
Lisa Renee and Colin Powers, were added to
the Guy family. In 1957, George was reassigned
to Korea as a battalion adjutant and a
detachment commander in the 7th Infantry
Division. During this hardship tour, Lynn and
the children lived with his parents.
Upon his return from Korea, George
attended the Infantry Officers Advanced
Course at Ft. Benning, followed by assignment
to the Defense Language Institute
at the Presidio of Monterey, CA, for a
course in Italian. Lynn also enrolled in the
course, and they both graduated in December
1960. George was subsequently assigned to
the G-4 Division, Headquarters, Southern
European Task Force (SETAF), at Verona,
Italy. His job as a procurement and financial
management staff officer provided many opportunities
for travel throughout southern
Europe, and on one occasion Lynn and the
children joined him for a four-week stay in
the Bavarian Alps. Their third child, Roland
Sterling, was born during their tour in Italy.
Upon completion of their tour in Italy, the
family drove from Verona to Berlin, Germany,
where George commanded a company in the
Berlin Brigade. One of the most memorable
events of that tour was President Kennedy’s
visit and his famous “Ich Bin Ein Berliner”
speech. In 1964, the family left for Boonville,
MO, where George served as assistant professor
of military science at Kemper Military
School and College. Life in this “Main Street,
USA” small town provided many fond memories
for the family. They especially enjoyed
their pony Firecracker, that Lynn and Roland
won in a contest.
George received orders to Viet Nam in
May 1967, with a temporary assignment to
the ROTC summer camp at Ft. Sill, OK.
Lynn and the children accompanied him
to Ft. Sill and then lived near her parents
in Florida after George’s departure. In Viet
Nam, George was the assistant G-3 in the 4th
Infantry Division and executive officer of the
2d Battalion, 8th Infantry. Upon his return,
George attended the Command and General
Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, KS, followed
by assignment to the Army General Staff in
the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for
Force Development. There, he was the Army
systems staff officer on the TOW Antitank
Guided Missile System.
In the spring of 1972, George received
orders for an unaccompanied tour of duty
in Laos and prepared by studying French at
the Defense Language Institute at Anacostia,
Washington, DC. In Laos, he was the military
advisor to MG Vang Pao, a Hmong (Laotian).
George also taught English to some of the
Hmong people and provided advice on economic
matters. In 1974, he was assigned to
the Program Managers Course at the Defense
Systems Management College at Ft. Belvoir,
VA. Following the course, George was assigned
to the Mechanized Infantry Combat
Vehicle (MICV) Project Office in Warren,
MI. He remained with the MICV project
for three years, then took terminal leave and
retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel, effective
1 Jun 1977.
In April 1977, George began working
at United Technologies Automotive (UTA)
as the assistant to the vice president of the
Electro-Mechanical Division. He remained
with UTA until June 1996, when both he and
Lynn retired. During his 19 years with UTA,
George’s titles ranged from marketing associate
to manager in the wiring systems sales and
marketing departments. He made numerous
trips to China, developing joint automotive
ventures with the Chinese government, and
Lynn accompanied him on two of these trips.
After his second retirement, George and
Lynn enjoyed spending many hours on their
boat, traveling, enjoying M-2 ’54 reunions,
and visiting with their far-flung family.
George endured two heart bypass operations
between 1999 and 2001, but after struggling
with health complications for two years, he
joined the Long Gray Line at midnight on
25 Dec 2001. He is remembered as a devoted
husband and father, a dedicated soldier, forever
loyal to his country, and a true friend to
all who knew him. Thanks, George. By your
presence, you made our lives a little richer.
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