THE WALL OF FACES

Nearly 36 years after you gave your life, I remember you well as the man who so ably and strongly led us all in the First Cavalry Division. I honor your sacrifice this Memorial Day, 2006, and pray for you and your family.

PLEASE REFER TO THE REMEMBRANCE FOR


MAJOR


JOHN ALEXANDER HOTTELL III


WHO WAS ACCOMPANYING


MAJOR GENERAL


GEORGE WILLIAM CASEY


COMMANDING GENERAL


of the


1st CAVALRY DIVISION ( AIRMOBILE )


on


7 JULY 1970


WHEN THEY MET THEIR DEATHS

AS THE RESULT OF AN AIR ACCIDENT

ON THE BORDER OF

SOUTH VIETNAM / LAOS





~~~ DUTY ~~~ HONOR ~~~ COUNTRY ~~~





~~~ THE LONG GRAY LINE ~~~





YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN

NOR SHALL YOU EVER BE





REMEMBER, THERE IS HONOR STILL,

IT IS FOR YOU TO SEE IT LASTS





27 NOVEMBER 2001

The 1st Cavalry Division suffered a tragic loss

early in July when the 1st Cavalry Division

Command Helicopter, piloted by Major General

George William Casey, enroute to visit wounded

Skytroopers, crashed in a remote area in

South Vietnam / Laos.


Six members of his personal staff perished with him:


Major

John Alexander Hottell III

Aide-de-Camp


1st Lieutenant

William Frederick Michel

Pilot


Command Sergeant Major

Kenneth William Cooper

Division Sergeant Major


Sergeant

William Lee Christenson

Door Gunner


Sergeant

Ronald Francis Fuller

Crew Chief


Sergeant

Vernon Kenneth Smolik

Aide & Stenographer


General Casey took command of the

1st Cavalry Division, considered the

Army's best, in May, while the division was

engaged in the operation against the communist

sanctuaries in Cambodia.


He served as the Task Force Commander in that

operation.


The Division, the Association, the Army, and

the Nation, lost a dedicated and gallant leader.


As one of the youngest Major Generals in the

United States Army, General Casey was an outstanding

soldier with a bright future.


In the names of the men,

the Association extends deepest sympathy.



Transcribed from -


SABER

Published by and for Veterans of the Famous

1st Cavalry Division ( Airmobile )

Volume 19 - Number 4

July / August 1970




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


The following is an excerpt from,

AIRMOBILE:

THE CHANGING WAR IN CAMBODIA, 1969 - 1970


The 1st Cavalry Division operation in Cambodia far exceeded all expectations and proved to be one of the most successful operations in the history of the First Team.

All aspects of ground and air combat were utilized-air cavalry, armor, infantry, and mechanized infantry.

The U.S. Air Force reconnaissance, tactical air, and B-52's performed yeoman duty throughout the campaign there.

This team effort, spearheaded by the airmobile flexibility inherent in the 1st Cavalry, carried the war to the enemy and defeated him in his own backyard.

Major General George W. Casey had taken command of the 1st Cavalry on 12 May from Major General Elvy B. Roberts.

General Roberts, who had been scheduled to turn over command of the division on 3 May, had been extended until 12 May in order to plan, organize, and command the initial phases of the Cambodian operation.

On 6 July 1970, he wrote a letter to his troops summing up the 1st Cavalry's part in the Cambodian Campaign.

Excerpts from the letter are as follows:


The results are impressive. You killed enough of the enemy to man three NVA Regiments; captured or destroyed enough individual and crew-served weapons to equip two NVA Divisions; and denied the enemy an entire year's supply of rice for all of his maneuver battalions in our AO. You captured more rocket, mortar, and recoilless rifle rounds than the enemy fired in all of III Corps during the twelve months preceding our move into Cambodia. And, perhaps most important, by working together in an airmobile team, you disrupted the' enemy's entire supply system, making chaos of his base areas and killing or driving off his rear service personnel.

Only time will tell how long it will take the NVA to recover, but of this you can be sure—you have set the enemy back sufficiently to permit President Nixon's redeployment plan to proceed with safety while assuring that our Vietnamese Allies maintain their freedom. This is your achievement. This is yet another demonstration that you of the 1st Cavalry Division deserve—and have earned again—the accolade of the FIRST TEAM. It is my honor to have served alongside you during this crucial and historic period.


The following day on the morning of 7 July, Major General George W. Casey was enroute to Cam Ranh Bay to visit wounded Sky Troopers in the hospital.

Flying over the rugged mountains of the Central Highlands, General Casey's helicopter entered a thick cloudbank and disappeared from sight.

In the late afternoon of 9 July, the wreckage of the General's helicopter was found.

General Casey and all the officers and men aboard had been killed instantly in the crash.

George had served with me as my Chief of Staff during 1967.

Prior to that he commanded the 2d Brigade under Major General John Norton.

His death was a great personal loss to me and everyone who had served with him.

Major General George W. Putnam, whose 1st Aviation Brigade had been doing a fantastic job in supporting Army of the Republic of Vietnam operations in the Parrot's Beak to the south, was ordered to take command of the 1st Cavalry Division.



27 November 2001

NEWS RELEASE

from the

United States Department of Defense


14 January 2003


GENERAL OFFICER ANNOUNCEMENT


LIEUTENANT GENERAL


Secretary of Defense DONALD H. RUMSFELD

announced today that the president has made the

following nomination:


Army Lieutenant General George William Casey Jr

has been nominated for appointment to the rank of

lieutenant general with assignment as Director,

The Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.


He is currently serving as Director for Strategic

Plans, J-5, The Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



BIOGRAPHY

COURSE OF COMMISSIONED SERVICE: ROTC

MILITARY SCHOOLS ATTENDED

Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses

Armed Forces Staff College

Senior Service College

Fellowship - The Atlantic Council

EDUCATIONAL DEGREES

Georgetown University - BS - International Relations

University of Denver - MA - International Relations

PROMOTIONS DATES OF APPOINTMENT

2nd LIEUTENANT
21 October 70

1st LIEUTENANT
21 October 71

CAPTAIN
21 October 74

MAJOR
6 September 80

LIEUTENANT COLONEL
1 August 85

COLONEL
1 May 91

BRIGADIER GENERAL
1 July 96

MAJOR GENERAL
1 September 99

LIEUTENANT GENERAL
31 October 01

GENERAL
1 December 03

MAJOR DUTY ASSIGNMENTS
FROM TO ASSIGNMENT

Apr 71 - Sep 72
Mortar Platoon Leader,
later Liaison Officer
Headquarters and Headquarters Company
2d Battalion
509th Infantry (Airborne)
8th Infantry Division
United States Army Europe, Germany

Sep 72 - Jun 73
Platoon Leader
A Company
2d Battalion
509th Infantry (Airborne)
8th Infantry Division
United States Army Europe, Germany

Jun 73 - Oct 74
Mortar Platoon Leader
later Executive Officer
A Company
1st Battalion
509th Infantry (Airborne)
United States Army Southern European Task Force, Italy

Oct 74 - Dec 75
Student
Ranger School and Infantry Officer Advanced Course
United States Army Infantry School
Fort Benning, Georgia

Dec 75 - Apr 77
Assistant S-4 (Logistics)
later S-4
1st Battalion
11th Infantry
4th Infantry Division (Mechanized)
Fort Carson, Colorado

Apr 77 - Apr 78
Commander
C Company
1st Battalion
11th Infantry
4th Infantry Division (Mechanized)
Fort Carson, Colorado

Apr 78 - Dec 78
Commander
Combat Support Company
1st Battalion
11th Infantry
4th Infantry Division (Mechanized)
Fort Carson, Colorado

Dec 78 - May 80
Student
International Studies
University of Denver
Denver Colorado

Jun 80 - Jan 81
Student
Armed Forces Staff College Norfolk, Virginia

Feb 81 Feb 82
Department of Defense Military Observer
United States Military Observer Group
United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, Jerusalem

Feb 82 - Feb 84
S-3 (Operations)
later Executive Officer
1st Battalion
10th Infantry
4th Infantry Division (Mechanized),
Fort Carson, Colorado

Feb 84 - May 85
Secretary of the General Staff
4th Infantry Division (Mechanized),
Fort Carson, Colorado

Jul 85 - Jul 87
Commander
1st Battalion
10th Infantry
4th Infantry Division (Mechanized)
Fort Carson, Colorado

Aug 87 - Jul 88
Student
United States Army Senior Service College Fellowship
The Atlantic Council Washington, DC

Jul 88 - Dec 89
Congressional Program Coordinator
Office of the Chief of Legislative Liaison
Washington, DC

Dec 89 - Jun 91
Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff, Army
Washington, DC

Aug 91 - May 93
Chief of Staff
1st Cavalry Division
Fort Hood, Texas

May 93 - Mar 95
Commander
3d Brigade
1st Cavalry Division,
Fort Hood, Texas

Mar 95 - Oct 95
Assistant Chief of Staff
G-3 (Operations)
V Corps
United States Army, Europe

Oct 95 - Jul 96
Chief of Staff, V Corps
United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany

Aug 96 - Aug 97
Assistant Division Commander (Maneuver)
later Assistant Division Command (Support)
1st Armored Division
United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany

Aug 97 - Jun 99
Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs
J-5, The Joint Staff
Washington, DC

Jul 99 - Jul 01
Commanding General
1st Armored Division
United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany

Jul 01 - Oct 01
Commander
Joint Warfighting Center/Director
Joint Training, J-7
United States Joint Forces Command
Suffolk, Virginia

Oct 01 - Jan 03
Director
Strategic Plans and Policy, J-5
The Joint Staff
Washington, DC

Jan 03 - Oct 03
Director
Joint Staff
The Joint Staff
Washington, DC

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS

Dates / Grade

Department of Defense Military Observer,
United States
Feb 81 - Feb 82
Major

Military Observer Group
United Nations Truce Supervision
Organization,
Jerusalem
Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs
Aug 97 - Jun 99
Brigadier General

J-5, The Joint Staff,
Washington, DC
Commander, Joint Warfighting Center/Director
Jul 01 - Oct 01
Major General

Joint Training, J-7,
United States Joint Forces
Command,
Suffolk, Virginia
(No joint credit)
Director for Strategic Plans and Policy, J-5
Oct 01 - Jan 03
Lieutenant General

The Joint Staff, Washington, DC
Director, Joint Staff,
The Joint Staff, Washington, DC
Jan 03 - Oct 03
Lieutenant General


US DECORATIONS AND BADGES

Defense Distinguished Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster)

Distinguished Service Medal

Legion of Merit (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters)

Defense Meritorious Service Medal

Meritorious Service Medal

Army Commendation Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster)

Army Achievement Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster)

Expert Infantryman Badge

Master Parachutist Badge

Ranger Tab

Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge

Army Staff Identification Badge

Up-to-date as of 23 June 2004

George is buried at Arlington Nat Cem.