MAJ(Ret) George Petrie
2 Attachment(s)
George, an SF legend, Son Tay Raider, and Distinguished Member of the Regiment, died quietly in his sleep last night at his home with family and friends in Greenville, TX.
RIP, George. You've earned it.
Richard
George Petrie entered the US Army as a Private on 22 June 1958. After attending BCT and Infantry AIT, he was assigned to Fort Bragg, NC, for Basic Airborne Training, becoming a proud member of the 319th Airborne Field Artillery, 82nd Airborne Division. In 1962, he gradated from the SF Commo Course as Honor Graduate and was assigned to the 5th SFGA as an A-Team Senior Radio Operator Supervisor. When the 8th SFGA stood up at Fort Gulick, Panama Canal Zone, he transferred to the new unit. While there, he attended the Underwater Operations and Spanish language courses. In 1967 he returned to the 5th SFGA as a Team Sergeant and Company Commander of a mobile guerrilla force in the 2nd Mobile Strike Force, Pleiku, RVN. He returned to Fort Bragg, assigned first to the 3rd SFGA and then the 6th SFGA, and graduating from the SF O&I course as Distinguished Honor Graduate.
He received a direct commission to 1LT and completed the Infantry Officer Basic Course at fort Benning, GA, in 1970. He was then selected to be a part of Operation Ivory Coast, the Son Tay prison raid deep in North Vietnam, where he was a member of the 'Blue Boy' assault element and the first of the raiders to hit the ground.
He returned to RVN in 1971, serving as the CDR of Company A, 1st Bn, 5th SFGA. He then attended the Infantry Officer Advance Course where he was the Honor Graduate before assignment to the Joint Casualty Resolution Center (JCRC), Thailand, serving in Saigon, RVN, as an Ops Oficer, Field Investigator, Corps Desk Officer, and Action Officer for the AmEmbassy Defense Attache Office where he was a member of the special planning group for the evacuation of Saigon during Operation Frequent Wind. He was then assigned to the 25th Infantry Division, HI, for one year before serving with the relocated JCRC and as SpecOpsDiv E&E Officer for PACOM in HI and the ROK. He retired 11 May 1980 and was the President of SFA Chapter XXXl here in North Texas for over 18 years.
His awards and decorations include the SS (OLC), LOM, BSM w/V (OLC), MSM, AM, PH (OLC), ARCOM w/V (3 OLC), JSCM (3 OLC), NAVCOM w/V, AGCM, NDSM (BS), AFEM (2 BS), VNSVC, KDSM, HSM, VNCG (GS, SS, BS), VNHM, VNWM, VNCAM, VNCM, IAPFM, PUC (OLC), VUC, MUC (OLC), VNCAUC, VNCGUC, CIB, Master Parachute Badge, SCUBA Badge, SF Tab, Pathfinder Badge, RVN Master Parachute Badge, ROK Master Parachute Badge, and Thai Master Prachute Badge.
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