More detail on this person: Cancer.LtCol.(Ret.)
George W. Gorsuch Jr., 71, of Lutherville, Md.,
died January 16, 2001, at his home in Baltimore
County after a 2 1/2 year battle with cancer.
Col. Gorsuch was born in Gamber, Carroll County,
Md., and graduated from Westminster High School
in 1946. He subsequently entered the Army in 1952
during the Korean War where he took up flying
lessons at his own expense and time. During his
enlisted service, he worked with the Army Missile
Program. Subsequent to leaving the regular Army,
he joined the U.S. Army Reserve, and was
commissioned a Second Lieutenant after Officer
Candidate School. He applied for flight training
and was accepted, attending flight school at Fort
Sill, Oklahoma. He learned to fly light planes and
helicopters, and rose to the rank of Lieutenant
Colonel during his service in the Army National
Guard, and the U.S. Army Reserve.
Col. Gorsuch served several tours of active duty
for training and two full combat tours of duty in
Vietnam. During his first tour, in 1963, he flew
helicopter gun ships in support of direct combat
operations. He was also on the combat evaluation
team for the UH-1B gun ship that had 50 cal.
machine guns. During his second tour he flew
electronic warfare and reconnaissance airplanes
over enemy controlled territory during and in
support of combat operations. After his active
duty he joined the U.S. Army Reserves. As an
Army Reserve employee he became the Aviation
Facility Manager at Tipton Army Airfield located
at Fort Meade, Maryland. In this position he was
responsible for training Army Aviators to maintain
combat skills as well as upgrading to new
standards. These training programs involved all
types of helicopters and light airplanes.
Col. Gorsuch had many accomplishments in his
long and distinguished career. He was one of the
founding members of the Army Aviation Association
(AAAA). He has personally flown four of the
aircraft on display at the Army Aviation Museum at
Fort Rucker, Alabama. As a Captain, he was the
first officer on orders with the 14th Combat
Aviation Battalion, and deployed to Vietnam with
that unit. Because of his unique, historic
assignment with the 14th Battalion, after the unit
was redesignated as the 14th Aviation Regiment, he
was designated as a Distinguished Member of the
Regiment. Upon his return from his second tour in
Vietnam, he was appointed Project Manager for
development of a Helicopter Landing Pad System at
Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland. His military
awards include the Master Army Aviator Badge, the
Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal with 12
oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal,
the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Navy Unit
Commendation, the Army Reserve Components
Achievement Medal, two National Defense Medals,
the Vietnam Service Medal with numerous
Campaign Stars, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal,
the Republic Of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit
Citation with Palm Device, and the Vietnam
Campaign Medal.
He retired from the Army Reserve on August 1,
1989 and from U.S. Army Reserve civilian
employment on July 30, 1993. In October of last
year, George was honored by a reunion at Fort
Meade of more than ninety of his past co-workers
and friends. Some had traveled a long distance. It
was a testament to the many lives he had touched
in his 21 years of employment there and their
respect and devotion to him. He commented, at the
time, it was better than any medicine he could
have received.
Col. Gorsuch was buried with full military honors
at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens, Timonium,
Md.
From: bravedave@erols.com
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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