Posted by Terry Powers on November 16, 2022:

He served in World War II (CONUS training), the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. If you include his time in military schools he 'broke starch' for forty years before retiring from the Army in late 1977. He was the last surviving child of nine children in the Irish Catholic family of Charles and Loretto Powers of Savannah, Georgia. He often called himself 'The Last of the Mohicans". Of the 574 members of the USMA Class of 1949, over 500 have 'faded away'. He attended military high school in Savannah and later Marion Military Academy in Alabama. He enlisted in 1943 and was appointed to West Point in 1945. He graduated USMA in 1949, Transportation Corps, detailed Engineer. He married Jeannette Rouse of Savannah in 1950. They were on assignment to Japan when the Korean War intervened. Later assignments took the family to Germany, Turkey, Panama, and numerous stateside posts. She referred to herself as 'an old army war horse' and lovingly also called the family 'the gypsies' due to all the short assignments and the very short visits home to Savannah. But in sum, many years of happy marriage with all the bells and whistles of Army life! After serving as a combat engineer in the Korean War, he earned his MS in Engineering at the University of Michigan. He commanded at company, battalion, and higher levels and was an Army and Joint staff officer. His last assignment was as the PMS at John Carroll University. They returned with their youngest child to their home town in 1977. The older 'gypsies' had flown the nest, with the son off to his basic course the same year and then on to Germany. They enjoyed retirement with a high schooler and the return to Savannah. Jeannette passed away in 1986. He worked after the military, the last ten years at ZIM Container Service until 1989. He married Carolyn Walston in Savannah in 1996 and enjoyed having many more years of happy marriage. He was a member of Saint James Catholic Church, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Knights of Columbus and Immanuel Baptist Church Silver Nuggets. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Holland Powers, his three children with Jeannette, Jeannette Hodson, Terence Powers, Jr., and Angela Williams, and Carolyn's three children, Angela Moore, Rodney Walston and Liticia Weissinger, and twelve grandchildren from both marriages. All he ever asked of everyone was 'do your best'. Sounds easy, but it is a hard standard to live up to. He certainly knew how to live up to that standard. Duty, Honor, Country. He was buried in Savannah with military honors provided by Soldiers from Fort Stewart, GA. (On a personal note, 'do your best', 'Duty, Honor, Country', are nudged into the foreground by the seemingly simple phrase 'Lest We Forget'. These were exceptional folks, the greatest generation of soldiers and their wives that understood selfless service and were willing to sacrifice for their country and it's values. Remembering them makes the future brighter for all. Terence Powers, Jr.)

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