|
George Alexander Lacour was
born on September 29, 1929 in Atlanta, GA, the youngest of three
children of Albert Andre Lacour and Florance Elizabeth Obear. His
brother Albert Andre Jr. was the oldest (1927), followed by their
sister Pollie Lacour Singletary (1928).
George attended Atlanta’s Technological High School.
His brother also attended, and their father, a highly respected
artist, was a member of the faculty. George joined the student’s
engineers society, Hi-Y and Demolay. The school had a very strong
ROTC program, which George joined, rising to the rank of cadet
colonel by the time of his graduation in 1947.
His father had served in WWI and his brother was in
the Navy toward the end of WWII, but it was probably his high school
ROTC experience that motivated George to make the Army his career.
After high school he enrolled in the Atlanta Division
of the University of Georgia, now Georgia State. His father’s strong
connections to his family in Illinois resulted in George’s receiving
an Illinois congressional nomination to West Point. Prior to
entering the Academy in June 1949 with the Class of 1953, he
attended Sullivan’s Preparatory School in Washington, DC. During the
middle of his yearling year, George had problems with calculus. He
returned home and hired a math tutor who drilled him until his
successful return to West Point in the summer of 1951, when he
joined the Class of 1954 in Company K-1.
George was K-1 guidon bearer his last year, some say
the best the company had. He was a member the Radio Club for four
years. This interest in communication explains why he selected the
Signal Corps as his branch and why he pursued a BS in electrical
engineering from the University of Arizona in 1961.
George had many assignments during his career. After
Signal and Airborne Schools, he went to Fort Hood as a platoon
leader with the 141st Signal Battalion (1954-56), advancing to
battalion adjutant. George moved next to the 8th Army in Korea, Long
Lines Signal Battalion, as a company commander near Taegu, 1956-57.
Years later George recalled that this was the favorite assignment of
his career. In 1957 he served as a company commander at Fort Bragg,
82nd Airborne Division. He later commanded a company there in the
782nd Maintenance Battalion until 1959. After work on his BS degree,
1959-61, he was sent to Ludwigsburg, Germany on Headquarters staff
and as company commander, 26th Signal Battalion, 1961-63, and then
to Headquarters, 7th Army, 1963-64. He returned to the States and
served from 1964 to 1967 in Headquarters NORAD in Colorado Springs,
J-5, and Space Intelligence. George was deployed to Vietnam,
Headquarters, 1st Signal Brigade, near Saigon from 1967 to 1968.
Returning to the States, he was assigned to the Headquarters of the
Army Security Agency, Arlington, VA from 1968 to 1969. This was
followed by his move to Headquarters, Project MASSTER at Fort Hood
from 1969 to 1971. He was in Vietnam again from 1971 to 1972 in
Headquarters, U.S. Military Advisory Command. On his return, George
served as Assistant Commander, Headquarters, Armed Forces Radio and
Television Service in Los Angeles, CA. AFRTS provided worldwide
programming for Armed Forces Network. He retired in 1977 as a
lieutenant colonel. Much of George’s work was classified, especially
during his later years. He could not discuss it with his family, and
even his travel was restricted at times.
George’s illustrious service was recognized with two
Bronze Stars, two Meritorious Service Medals, two Joint Service
Commendation Medals and the Army Commendation Medal.
While George was back at home in Atlanta studying for
his 1951 re-entry to West Point, his brother Albert introduced him
to Albert’s Spanish tutor, Jeannette (Jean) Moody. Jean and George
began to correspond when he returned to West Point a few months
later, and their attachment grew during leaves and holidays. They
were married shortly after his graduation in June 1954 in Decatur,
GA, a suburb of Atlanta.
George and Jean had two children. The elder is Claire
Jeannette Lacour, who inherited her father’s passion for
electricity, earning both a BS (UCLA) and an MS (USC) in electrical
engineering. Claire has two children, Rianna Lacour
Knowles-Malherbe, a cellular biologist, and Graeme Lacour Knowles,
an engineering student. George and Jean’s younger son is George
Alexander Lacour Jr., who is an aerospace machinist and an
accomplished gunsmith. He has a daughter, Marisol Carmen Lacour, a
student of physical therapy.
After retirement, George worked as an electrical and
telecommunications engineer for several large California
corporations: Litton Industries in Van Nuys, TRM Inc. in Redondo
Beach, McDonnell Douglas in Huntington Beach and Fluor Daniel in
Irvine. He retired in 1989. Claire’s family was then living in
Moorpark, and George and Jean moved there to be near them. George
Jr. soon followed with his family. It was said that the only time
George was truly relaxed was when he was with his children and
grandchildren.
George loved ham radios. In time he turned more and
more to computers and became very proficient. He joined the Ventura
County Genealogical Society. He was always being asked by neighbors
and acquaintances to digitize their family snapshots.
The last years of his life were difficult for him.
George developed multiple health problems and finally moved into a
nursing home in Moorpark. He lived there about three years before
dying on October 1, 2013, two days after his 84th birthday. He was
buried in Conejo Mountain Memorial Park and Cemetery in nearby
Camarillo. He was a loving husband and father and a dedicated
officer.
— R. J. Morris, K-1, Class of 1954 |
