George Washington Jordan is among the most senior of World War II veterans. The 105-year-old Dooly County native drove trucks in Okinawa while serving in the Army. Transportation was a common assignment for black soldiers in a segregated military. 

Despite the sobering circumstances of war, I have no doubt Mr. George approached military service the same way he has lived – with quiet dignity and an easy smile. I’ve known him almost 50 years and can testify to his exceptional character and gracious demeanor.  

In some ways he’s unchanged from when we first met – still slender and affable. His mobility, though, is now limited and hearing loss is severe. One of his children, Nathan Jordan, offered me a small dry-erase board to write questions on.    

“That was so long ago,” said Mr. George while trying to recall wartime accounts. He remembers a lot from those days but details are fading, some of them perhaps for the best.

Born April 15, 1919, on the Morgan Farm near Vienna, a mention of childhood evoked pleasant excitement. He enjoyed talking about plowing with mules as a teenager, sharing how the mules would shift directions on commands of gee and haw. 

As a young man he joined the civil service and moved to Jonesboro, Georgia, to help build the Atlanta General Depot. That job ended when Uncle Sam gave him a new one. On September 23, 1942, he was inducted into the United States Army. Basic training was at Ft. Benning, Georgia, where he was assigned to a Service Battalion. From there he went to Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, and trained in Truck Transportation.

Winter was cold in Ft. Bragg, especially when sleeping on the ground. “I like to froze to death,” he said with a grin, before relating an experience he now finds amusing. A young soldier he was sharing a tent with put his own shoes outside that night and couldn’t find them the next morning. We changed topics before I learned how that story ended.    

Ft. Lewis, Washington, was his last stop before Hawaii. In Hawaii he learned to swim, then boarded one of 65 ships bound for Japan. During the Battle of Okinawa he served with the Quartermaster Truck Company which moved supplies, fuel, and munitions to the front line. Standing orders were to abandon a vehicle quickly if it broke down. Japanese soldiers were adept at hiding and seizing opportunities. Hesitation could have grave consequences.

An ongoing challenge was a shortage of truck drivers. They were supposed to have three drivers per truck but only had two covering 24-hour shifts. Except for refueling and maintenance, they ran day and night for nine months. That tidbit of history gave me a better appreciation for supporting roles which often garner little recognition.   

Honorably discharged on February 29, 1946, Mr. George achieved the rank of Technical Five (Corporal) and earned four medals: the Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic Pacific Medal, American Service Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.

Because his formal education ended after fifth grade, Nathan said his dad was amazed that he married a school teacher, a young lady from Miami, Florida, he met at church. Mr. George and his late wife, Leona, raised four children and lost a daughter at age two. 

Nathan volunteered for the Air Force at 17, but he’s appreciative of the sacrifices his parents made for two siblings who chose to attend college. His father sometimes held three and four jobs so their degrees would come without debt. Hard work helped pave the way for an industrial engineer and a registered nurse.

After 22 years in the Air Force, Nathan returned to Vienna. The former air-traffic controller launched a new career, still ongoing, with the City of Vienna’s Public Works Department. He excels at his job, but my deepest admiration is for the work being done on a higher plane. When his father needed more assistance with daily living, Nathan welcomed him into his home.     

Mr. George deserves accolades for serving his country, and for being a longtime blessing to his community. Perhaps his greatest accomplishment, however, is the godly example he set for his children. The tender care he now receives gives evidence of a beloved father. 

At 105 years of age a lot of things have changed, but those most important are still the same. George Washington Jordan lives as he always has, with quiet dignity and an easy smile.