Posted by XXXXXX on April 29, 2008:

George S. Thomas, ’48 No. 16661 22 Jul 1924 – 20 Mar 2003 Died in McLean, VA Ashes scattered at his memorial park, Upperville, VA George Selby Thomas was a man of many achievements. He was a dedicated Air Force officer, highly decorated fighter pilot, aeronautical engineer, finance-investment advisor, and university professor, a true Renaissance man. George was born in South Orange, NJ, the son of Edwin George and Stella Selby Thomas. His parents raised him to be a man of integrity and a gentleman of high principles. He was endowed with an energetic spirit and the ethic of hard work. Like many pioneers of early aviation, George loved horsemanship and the cavalry. As a teenager, he joined the Essex Troop, an elite cavalry unit of the New Jersey National Guard, where he learned that the care and feeding of horses involved a lot of mucking out the stables. More to George’s liking was that being a member of the troop provided the challenge of riding fast, spirited polo ponies. In 1942, he graduated from Maplewood High School and attended the Newark College of Engineering for one year. In 1943, with the country fully engaged in World War II, George again followed the path of the pioneers who influenced his youth and entered the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Program. While still in pilot training, he competed for a nomination to West Point. In early 1944, he attended the Preparatory Program at Cornell University, and according to his buddies, George was admired and recognized as a natural leader, possessing not only common sense but unmistakable self-confidence. In July 1944, George entered the Academy with the Class of 1947. After the Allied victory in World War II, the Class of 1947 was split in half. Falling into the older half, George could have chosen to graduate in 1947 but understanding the value of education, he chose to stay for a fourth year and graduate with the Class of 1948. Horseman that he was, George was perhaps influenced somewhat by being able to ride at the Academy. He had become an accomplished mule rider at Army football games. Staying on board and controlling a stubborn army mule inside a noisy stadium was no easy feat. As Graduation Day approached, George cast his lot with the newly created Air Force. After graduation, he entered flight training in San Antonio while continuing to play polo and drive his old, paid-for car. In 1949, he graduated from flying school, and wearing his new wings, Fighter Pilot First Class Thomas headed for Itazuke, Japan, to fly the F-51 with the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing. In 1950, in his own words, he was “off to Korea for a two year course in the Art of War.” George was a fast learner. He transitioned into the F-80 jet fighter and quickly demonstrated his fighter pilot skills, earning two Distinguished Flying Crosses — a pilot’s most coveted decoration — and eight Air Medals. In 1952, George returned to the States to fly the F-84 with the 511th Fighter Bomber Squadron at Langley AFB, VA, a two-year assignment. As George described it, he was “teaching neophyte fighter pilots the mysteries of Air-Ground Operations.” From 1954 through 1957, George was on the Air Staff in the Pentagon, working for the deputy chief of staff for Plans & Operations. George then attended the Air Force Institute of Technology and earned a master of science in aeronautical engineering. In 1962, he returned to maintenance engineering at Headquarters, Fifth Air Force, in Japan. In 1969, George started his final flying assignment and combat tour with the 56th Special Operations Wing in Thailand, serving as chief of operations for the 23rd Tactical Air Support Squadron. George again demonstrated outstanding flying skills in more than 30 combat missions as a forward air controller, helping to wage a secret and unconventional phase of the air war in Southeast Asia. He earned six Air Medals interdicting the well traveled Ho Chi Minh Trail. George returned to the States in 1970 and served as deputy assistant for defense suppression at Headquarters, Air Force Systems Command, Andrews AFB, MD, his final assignment. The Air Force awarded George the Meritorious Service Medal for his outstanding work in seeking effective ways to suppress enemy air defenses. In 1973, he retired after 26 years of active duty. After retirement from the Air Force, George turned to his father’s career in investing, earning a doctorate in business administration from George Washington University in 1983. He then taught finance courses at Hofstra, American University, and George Washington University while managing a profitable investment fund. Having met in 1970, George and Phyllis Langton finally married in 1987 when Phyllis’s daughter graduated from college. George also became active in the governance of his West Point class, serving twice as treasurer and later as class president. Every month, George shared his perceptive insights and original investment analyses with his classmates. When asked, he worked with class widows and wives, helping them manage their investment portfolios. George, along with classmates Sid Berry, Bob Kirwan, and others, developed a course called “Preparing for Life’s Major Contingencies,” which they packaged and shared with all their classmates. With Bill Smith as chairman of the 50th class reunion, George served as financial chairman, and he was instrumental in making the event a great success. George Thomas was an unforgettable man with many interests and many successes. He was a gentleman, a giving friend, and a loving partner. He died peacefully at home in McLean, VA, from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. He is survived by his wife Phyllis; step-daughter Phyleen; two granddaughters, Claire and Lorna; and family from his previous marriage. Phyllis Langton, classmate Irv Schoenberg, and classmate Art Barondes

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