George Massle Gividen

West Point, 1951

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Bill Spence on August 22, 1998:

George Massie Gividen Jr. Services for George M. Gividen Jr., 69, of Copperas Cove will be at I p.m. Tuesday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Copperas Cove with Bishop Wilford Carpenter officiating. Burial will be at I p.m. Thursday at Park Hill Cemetery in Coiumbus, Ga., with full military honors. Gividen died Saturday at a Fort Hood hospital. He was born April 3, 1929, in Lexington, Ky. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1951. Gividen served in the Korean War and later taught at the U.S. Army Ranger School at Fort Benning, Ga. and at West Point. While in the Army, Gividen earned a master's degrees in psychology from Vanderbilt University and later completed four years toward a doctorate degree at Columbia University. Gividen retired from the Army in 1960 as a Captain. He was formerly a joint owner of the Tri State Parachute Club of New Jersey and was president of the Parachute Club of America. Gividen worked at the Stanford Research Institute and Litton Industries in Monterey, Calif. He later worked as a research psychologist for the U.S.Department of Defense from 1971 to 1990 as chief of the Army Research Institute. Gividen served on the school board in Monterey, Calif, for four years. He moved to Copperas Cove in December 1991 and served as a city councilman there for four terms. His most recent term was from June 1994 to June 1997. Among his numerous awards and decoration are: the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver,Star, Soldiers Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Purple Heart, World War II Victory Medal, Korean War Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Ulchi Distinguished Military Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Texas National Guard/State Guard Faithful Service Medal, Marine Corps basic qualification badge and expert rifleman medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Ranger qualification, badge, Airborne tab and Army expert qualification badge. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints in Copperas Cove, 2nd Ward, the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 211 in Copperas Cove, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 582 in Copperas Cove, Legion of Valor, the Military Order of the Purple Heart and the Royal Order of Kentucky Colonels. Gividen was also a lieutenant colonel in the Texas State National Guard, a founding member of the CENTEX Humane Society and a member of the Copperas Cove Exchange Club. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Gividen of Copperas Cove; five sons, J. Richard Gividen of Dale City, Va., J. Michael Gividen of San Marcos, Floyd Camp and Shawn D. Camp, both of Copperas Cove, and Rickey L. Myers of Amarillo; four daughters, Deborah G. Bray of Marble Falls, Kathryn L. Gividen of St. Petersburg, Fla., Penny S. Boyce of Lampasas and Samantha A. Camp of Copperas Cove; one brother, Robert Hootman Gividen of Waynesville, Pa,; and 21 grandchildren. Gividen was preceded in death by his first wife, June Hudson Gividen, and two sons, George Massie Gividen III and Terry Myers.

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