More detail on this person: Rincon - Ret. Lt. Col. George M. Blackburn U.S.M.C., died on Saturday, December 31, 2005 at Candler Hospital. He was born November 14, 1931 in Savannah and grew up in Garden City where he was a charter member of Chapel -In-The Gardens Presbyterian Church. He attended Port Wentworth Elementary School, Chatham Junior High School and graduated from Savannah High School. He received an AA from Armstrong Junior College, A BS from Georgia Tech, an MED and an EDS from the University of Georgia and did additional graduate work at East Carolina University and Oglethorpe University. Upon completing Georgia Tech he entered flight training at Pensacola, FL and earned his Naval Aviator Wings of Gold. He was commissioned a Second Lieutinant in the Marine Crops where he flew with various fighter and helicoptor squadrons. He was aide - de -comp to Major General Carson A. Roberts. He went to Vietnam twice, once with the army Special Forces involved in top secret missions into North Vietnam, Laos, Camdodia and the DMZ. He made three parachute jumps while there. He received the following awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star with combat V, Air Medal with 5 gold stars, Navy Commendation Medal with combat V, Presidentail Unit Citation, Air Force Special Unit Award, Vietnam Staff Services Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with 1 star, Vietnam Campaign Medal with device and the National Defense Service Medal. His last assignment in the Marines was as commanding officer of Marine Helicoptor Training Squadron 204. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1974. He had a second career as a mathematics teacher. He taught at Coastal Carolina Community College, Oglethorpe County High School, Carlisle Military School, Central Junior High School, Advanced Placement Calculus teacher at Effingham County High School and adjunt instructor at Brewton Parker College. He retired from Education in 1996. He was an avid golfer and aformer member of Black Creek Golf Club. He was also a member of the Marine Corps Association , the Retired Officers Association and the Georgia Retired Educators. He was preceded in death by his parents, M.O. & Maggie Belle Blackburn and a brother, Frederick D. Blackburn, Sr. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Joyce Blackburn of Rincon; daughter and son-in-law, Jerri and Tom Balles of Athens; daughter, Tranna Rogers of Savannah; granddaughter, Morganne Rogers of Savannah; brother, Montford O. Blacksburn Jr., of Savannah; sisters, Elizabeth B. Sikes of Garden City, Maggie B. Pahnke of Wake Forest, NC and Leonora B. Jones of Americus; mother-in-law, Mary Hamilton of Waycross, GA; sister-in-law, Carolyn Akins of Waycross and numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation: 5-8 p.m. on Monday at the funeral home. Funeral: 1 p.m. on Tuesday at Chapel-In-The-Garden Presbyterina Church. Interment: Forest Lawn Memory Gardens.
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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