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John Rogers ‘Jack’ Galvin
was born in Melrose, MA, the eldest of four children of Josephine
Rogers and John J. Galvin. He grew up nearby in the historic town of
Wakefield, MA.
One of his proudest early achievements was advancing to private
first class in the Massachusetts Army National Guard. Called in one
day by his first sergeant, he was told about a competitive
examination for National Guard appointments to West Point. Jack said
he didn’t want to do that. The first sergeant explained: “Galvin,
we’re not talking about what you want, we’re talking about
what I want!” Jack took the exam, was admitted, and graduated
with the Class of 1954. He commissioned Infantry and was soon
qualified as a parachutist and Ranger.
Jack greatly savored an early assignment to Colombia as advisor to
the Lanceros (Ranger) School. He became fluent in Spanish, a
capability he worked hard to maintain and improve throughout his
career, later achieving fluency in German as well. His ability to
converse with allied officers in those languages and even quote
poetry in their native tongue earned him many friends and productive
professional relationships.
At
Fort Knox, KY, he was the token Infantryman in the Armor Officer
Advanced Course. This was an assignment of incalculable good fortune
for him, as it was there he met and courted the beautiful and
talented Ginny Brennan. Together they had four daughters—Mary Jo,
Beth, and twins Kathleen and Erin, all also beautiful and
talented—and a storybook marriage, with Jack rising to the highest
levels of his profession.
After earning a master’s degree at Columbia University, Jack spent
three years teaching English at West Point, where he also found time
to write the first of his four books. The Minute Men won a
best book prize from the Revolutionary War Roundtable.
Then it was off to the first of two tours in Vietnam. His service
there included command of 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry in the 1st
Cavalry Division. He was awarded the Silver Star and the Soldier’s
Medal, but he likely prized the loyalty and admiration of his
soldiers more, many of whom stayed in touch with him to the end of
his life. One of them, Bruce James, wrote the following about Jack:
“I was a warrant officer helicopter pilot for General Galvin when he
commanded a battalion in Vietnam. I worked decades in and for the
Army and never served under or met another officer of his caliber. I
would literally charge Hell with a bucket of ice water for him.”
Between the Vietnam tours Jack was an author of the Pentagon
Papers and a military assistant to Secretary of the Army Stan
Resor. Later he served as a writer on the staff of SACEUR General
Andrew Goodpaster. His associations with those two sterling leaders
continued to nourish him as he himself rose to posts of great
responsibility.
When it came time for the War College, Jack was named an Army Fellow
and spent the year at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at
Tufts University. This proved congenial territory for him, not far
from his roots. Many years later, after retirement from the Army, he
returned to spend five great years as dean at Fletcher, where he and
his family delighted in living in the house referenced in the
well-known poem “The New-England Boy’s Song about Thanksgiving Day”:
“Over the river, and through the wood, to grandmother’s house we
go.”
The command of troops, though, was the defining element of Jack’s 38
years of commissioned service, including assignments as ADC 8th
Infantry Division, CG 24th Infantry Division, and CG VII Corps. His
culminating service for two years as CINC U.S. Southern Command,
then five years as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, displayed his
leadership ability, exceptional strategic acumen, and diplomatic
skills during the last years of the Cold War.
In
Fighting the Cold War, splendid memoirs crafted over the
course of a decade or more and fortuitously published just months
before his death, Jack wrote of what he had come to believe were
“the essential elements of leadership: self-awareness, teamwork,
communication, and sensitivity to change,” adding with
characteristic modesty that he was not always successful in
employing these traits.
The book’s endorsements were exceptional. President George H. W.
Bush wrote, “General Jack Galvin is one of the greatest soldiers
this country ever had.” And General Jack Vessey, former Chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, “General Jack Galvin’s
extraordinary service was marked by dedication, wisdom, and absolute
integrity.”
Many honors were accorded to Jack. West Point named him a
Distinguished Graduate, the Army War College designated him an
Outstanding Alumnus, and his hometown named the brand new Galvin
Middle School in his honor (which he particularly savored).
Addressing the latter, Jack wrote: “I am honored and grateful to
have the Galvin Middle School named for me. I am a product of the
Wakefield public school system. The friendships and values I
acquired there have sustained me through my life and career. I hope
that every student who passes through Galvin Middle School will be
inspired and educated to, in the words of a great Army slogan of an
earlier day, ‘Be All You Can Be.’”
Jack’s qualities as a compassionate and decent human being permeated
every aspect of his life: friendships, family loyalties, concern for
soldiers, teaching, and mentoring of others. He touched us all in
ways we valued and will not forget. Afflicted with Parkinson’s
disease in his final years, Jack bore that burden with courage and
equanimity. May he Rest in Peace.
—
Family and Fellow Graduates |
