Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

George Marion Seignious

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

(June 21, 1921 – July 3, 2005) was a distinguished military leader, diplomat and college president.

Biography

General Seignious was born and raised in Orangeburg, South Carolina but attended high school in Kingstree; he was a 1942 graduate of

The Citadel The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a Public college, public United States senior military college, senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one ...

where he held the rank of Cadet Major and served as a Battalion Commander, his classmates included future South Carolina Governors John C. West and

Ernest Hollings Ernest Frederick "Fritz" Hollings (January 1, 1922April 6, 2019) was an American politician who served as a United States senator from South Carolina from 1966 to 2005. A conservative Democrat, he was also the 106th governor of South Carolina, ...

who was also a long time U.S. senator. He was commissioned as an Infantry Officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

and won the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

while serving as a Platoon Leader with the 10th Armored Division in the

European Theater of Operations The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It commanded Army Ground For ...

during World War II. Postwar assignments included attending the Army Armor School at

Fort Knox Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository, which is used to house a large portion of the United States' official gold res ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

; training officer with the Military Assistance Group in Brazil and as a staff officer with the Caribbean Command in Panama. During the 1950s he served as Assistant Executive Secretary to the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon, attended the Joint Services Staff College in England and served with the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Spain. From 1957-60 he was the Military Assistant to Secretary of the Army

Wilber Marion Brucker Wilber Marion Brucker (June 23, 1894 – October 28, 1968) was an American Republican politician. Born in Saginaw, Michigan, he served as the 32nd governor of Michigan from 1931 to 1933 and as the United States Secretary of the Army betwee ...

, in 1961 he graduated from the

National War College The National War College (NWC) of the United States is a school in the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. History The National War Colle ...

; he then returned to Europe to assume command of the

11th Armored Cavalry Regiment The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment ("Blackhorse Regiment") is a unit of the United States Army garrisoned at the Fort Irwin National Training Center in California. Although termed an armored cavalry regiment, it is being re-organized as a multi ...

followed by tours on the staff of U.S. Army, Europe and as Chief of Staff of the 3d Infantry Division. In 1964 he became one of the youngest generals in Army history at the age of 42. Returning to Washington, DC he was assigned as Director of Policy Plans for the Assistant Secretary of Defense and served as a military advisor to the delegation of Secretary of State

Dean Rusk David Dean Rusk (February 9, 1909December 20, 1994) was the United States Secretary of State from 1961 to 1969 under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, the second-longest serving Secretary of State after Cordell Hull from the F ...

at the

ANZUS The Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty (ANZUS or ANZUS Treaty) is a 1951 non-binding collective security agreement between Australia and New Zealand and, separately, Australia and the United States, to co-operate on military ...

and

SEATO The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) was an international organization for collective defense in Southeast Asia created by the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty, or Manila Pact, signed in September 1954 in Manila, the Philipp ...

treaty negotiations followed by duty as Deputy Director for Policy and Plans (J-5) for the

Joint Chiefs of Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the ...

. In June 1968 President

Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

appointed Seignious to the critical and sensitive role of Military Advisor to the

Paris Peace Talks The Paris Peace Accords, () officially titled the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Viet Nam (''Hiệp định về chấm dứt chiến tranh, lập lại hòa bình ở Việt Nam''), was a peace treaty signed on January 27, 1 ...

, the following year he was promoted to major general and became Commanding General of the 3d Infantry Division in Germany, in 1970 he assumed command of U.S. Army, Berlin where he also served as a military advisor to Ambassador

Kenneth Rush David Kenneth Rush (January 17, 1910 – December 11, 1994) was a United States Ambassador who helped negotiate the groundbreaking Four-Power Agreement in 1971 that ended the post-war crisis over Berlin. Early life Kenneth Rush was born David ...

during the Quadripartite Negotiations on Berlin. Returning to the Pentagon he served concurrently as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs and Director, Defense Security Assistance Agency. Promoted to

in 1972 he was appointed as the first

Director of the Joint Staff The director of the Joint Staff (DJS) is a three-star officer who assists the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a cabinet of senior military officers within the United States Armed Forces who advise the secretary of defense and the president on military ...

for the Joint Chiefs of Staff; he retired in July, 1974 after being selected as the 14th President of his alma mater The Citadel. During his tenure enrollment soared after suffering from the anti-military sentiment of the Vietnam War; endowments and scholarships were increased, a new physical education building was completed and major renovations were made to the barracks, mess hall and main academic building. He resigned as president in March, 1979 when President

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

appointed him as Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency where he had a major role in the delicate negotiations with the Soviet Union over the Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty. In 1981 President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

made him Delegate-at-Large for Arms Control Negotiations with the rank of Ambassador; after retiring from public service in 1984 he served as President of the

Atlantic Council The Atlantic Council is an American think tank in the field of international affairs, favoring Atlanticism, founded in 1961. It manages sixteen regional centers and functional programs related to international security and global economic prosp ...

, a foreign policy think tank. He was later chairman of the board for a high tech telecommunications company and also served as a trade representative for the state of South Carolina. General Seignious died in Charleston on July 3, 2005; his funeral service took place in Summerall Chapel at The Citadel and he was buried with full military honors at the

National Cemetery The following is a partial list of prominent National Cemeteries: Africa Algeria * El Alia Cemetery, Algiers Burundi * Mausolée des Martyrs de la Démocratie, Bujumbura Ghana * Asomdwee Park, Accra * Burma Camp Military Cemetery, Accra L ...

in Beaufort. In addition to the

his military awards included 3 awards of the

Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action * Distinguishe ...

and

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

, 4 awards of the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

and the

Joint Service Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth ...

. Seignious Hall, the football facility at The Citadel is named in his honor.

Awards and decorations

External links

The Citadel obituary

The Citadel Archives: George Marion Seignious Collection
* http://www.citadel.edu/root/president-past-presidents/107-info/administration/office-of-the-president/20860-lieutenant-general-george-m-seignious,-usa,-ret-1974-1979 * http://www.citadel.edu/root/news-archives-sy04-05-seignious_bio * http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/charleston/obituary.aspx?n=george-seignious&pid=14461973 * http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=30018 * https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11417363/george-marion-seignious {{DEFAULTSORT:Seignious, George 1921 births 2005 deaths Military personnel from South Carolina People from Orangeburg, South Carolina The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina alumni United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army generals Presidents of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina United States Ambassadors-at-Large Recipients of the Legion of Merit 20th-century American academics