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John Waggener

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John Waggener
Born(1925-08-17)August 17, 1925
Gideon, Missouri, US
DiedFebruary 3, 2017(2017-02-03) (aged 91)
Cape Girardeau, Missouri, US
Buried
IOOF Cemetery in Charleston, Missouri
Years of service33 years in the U.S. Army
Rank Major general
CommandsU.S. Army Engineer Training Center at Fort Leonard Wood, 1974-1976[1]
Battles / warsKorean War and Vietnam War
AwardsLegion of Merit (with four oak leaf clusters), the Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Commendation with an oak leaf cluster
Spouse(s)Mary Ella Drake

John "Jack" Garnett Waggener (August 17, 1925 - February 3, 2017) was an American military officer[2] who served as Commanding General of the United States Army Engineer Training Center at Fort Leonard Wood.[3]

Biography

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Born in Gideon, Missouri, Waggener grew up in Charleston, Missouri where he graduated from high school. In 1948, he graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point.[2] He had begun his military career in 1943 when he enlisted in the Army from Charleston. During his time in the military, Waggener held several important command posts in West Germany, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Argentina, Korea, and Vietnam. While stationed in South America, he helped build roads in the Andes Mountains and through the jungles.[3] He was a combat veteran of both the Korean and Vietnam conflicts.[4] He also lived for 19 years in the Lake of the Ozarks.[5] His final assignment was as Commanding General of the U.S. Army Engineer Training Center at Fort Leonard Wood where he retired after 29 years of service. On May 30, 2003, Congressman Ike Skelton dedicated a new gate and entrance to the fort as Waggener Gate at Fort Leonard Wood. Waggener received many awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit (with four oak leaf clusters), the Distinguished Service Medal, and the Army Commendation with an oak leaf cluster.[3]

Waggener died at age 91 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on February 3, 2017. He was buried at the IOOF Cemetery in Charleston, Missouri.[2] His son, a local famer also named John Waggener, who was born in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, died in 2022 at age 69.[6] His grandson attended the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. In 2021, Waggener was posthumously inducted into the Missouri Veterans Hall of Fame.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "John Garnett Waggener". Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  2. ^ a b c "Jack Waggener". Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  3. ^ a b c "General John G. Waggener". Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  4. ^ "Missouri Veterans Hall of Fame inducts former Fort Leonard Wood commanding general". Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  5. ^ a b "Did you know?: Late Maj. Gen. John G. 'Jack' Waggener was a Southeast Missouri native". Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  6. ^ "John Waggener Obituary". Retrieved 2023-10-22.