Posted by Faamily and classmates on September 10, 2004:

George Alvis Swearengen realized the consistent selfless devotion implied in the mythical concept of the ideal West Point classmate. To classmates and friends, George was a singular, unassuming personification of "Duty, Honor, Country". Always optimistic, he invariably affected persons and situations for the better, and his presence left the world an altogether better place. George was born and reared in Oakland, MS, to William and Ester Swearengen. He excelled in the Oakland schools, where his competence, versatility, and potential for leadership were evident as he played football, edited the school newspaper, and was class president three times. After a year at Mississippi State College, he was surprised to receive a wartime appointment to enter the Academy in 1944 with the Class of '47. During Plebe year George's classmates converted his name to "Chloe" after a Spike Jones recording popular at the time. The name stuck and, throughout his cadet and military career, to his classmates and close associates he remained the incomparable Chloe, a responsive colleague and steadfast friend. As a cadet, George confronted Academy challenges with a certain Southern calm, never undertaking 'the harder wrong' when there was 'the easier right.' As an exception to the 'easier right' as a member of the B Squad football team, he scrimmaged against the Blanchard-Davis-Tucker triumvirate, thereby assisting in sending the Black Knights to glory. Chloe could always relieve any arising tension with some droll comment or the statement, "That reminds me of a joke..." When the Academy transitioned back to the pre-war four-year curriculum, Chloe became one of the closely bonded 13 members of the Class of '48 in L-2 Company. In academics he gave no department more than it was due while he applied himself to two great achievements providing subtle help and support to classmates and establishing a modern Olympic record for sack time during evening study hours and Saturday afternoons. He believed, as the '48 Howitzer reported, "School is a place to rest between vacations." Commissioned in the Infantry at graduation, George attended the Ground General School at Ft. Riley before going on to the basic course. At Ft. Benning he met his lifelong companion, Imogene Allen. They married on 1 July 1949 and, shortly thereafter, sailed to Germany for a three-year adventure with the 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. Life in the 'Big Red One' was challenging for soldiers and families alike; the Berlin Blockade and the Korean War led the U.S. to perceive the major world threat to be a thrust by the Soviet armies into central Europe where the 1st Division and the U.S. Constabulary were the only deterrents. Coping with demanding training schedules and frequent alerts, Chloe and Imogene enjoyed their life in Furth-Nuuremburg, where daughters Phyllis and Susan were born in 1951 and 1952, respectively. For the next 20 years, George enjoyed the full range of challenging assignments; ROTC duty at the University of Denver; the Advanced Course followed by Airborne and Ranger schools; 7th Infantry Division in Korea; CGSC; the Pentagon in 1959 for duty in Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence; the University of Alabama during 1962-63, where George received a MBA in systems management; three years in Heidelberg assigned to the Office of USAREUR Comptroller; battalion command at Ft. Dix in 1966; and Viet Nam. Arriving in Viet Nam shortly after the 1968 Tet Offensive, George was assigned as the senior province advisor in Quang Ngai Province. Quang Ngai, located in the northern corps area, was a hostile province with the Viet Cong exceptionally strong in the heavily populated coastal region, with the North Vietnamese Army posing a continual threat in the western reaches of the province. Col. Swearengen and his team were superb in their successful work with their counterparts. George returned to the Pentagon in 1969, this time with duty in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. During this final challenging tour, 1969-72, he attended night school at George Washington University and earned another MBA. After 24 years of service, George retired in 1972. Always low-key in his approach, George was an exceptionally strong performer. As one of his associates commented following his first Pentagon assignment, "Only after he departed did we realize how much high quality work he was doing in his quiet way; it would take two people to fill his shoes." Following retirement, George and Imogene remained in their comfortable home in North Arlington, VA. They thoroughly enjoyed visits with their daughters and granddaughter Susie, and they spent much good time with their many friends, new and old. After George remodeled their house to his satisfaction, he joined the staff of George Washington University for two years and then was the comptroller of a Maryland-based engineering firm, from which he retired in 1993. Throughout the years, George continued to support and help his many friends and especially the children of those friends. Chloe had the uncanny knack of appearing unsummoned whenever wisdom, reassurance, assistance, or consolation was needed. The tragedy of his life was the death of his daughter, Susan, after a lingering illness. His grief was brightened somewhat by the move of granddaughter Susie to the greater Washington area, Susie's marriage and weekly visits by Susie and her two children. George's final years were marred by the ravages of Alzheimers's disease. He died peacefully and was interred with full military honors in Arlington. In the closing remarks of George's eulogy , a classmate summed it up; "During the 20th Century, many generals and politicians, presidents, and prime ministers received more recognition but, in my book, towering above all others, the finest human being of the century was my best friend, George Alvis Swearengen. Well done, Chloe, rest thou at peace."

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