Page 7 - FF Spring 2022 Final

Page 7

George Wayne Thinks About the Declaration of Independence

ing a BA from the University of believed in equality and inclu- these truths to be self-evident,
Nebraska in history and govern- sion, and the Department in- that all men are created equal,
ment, he went to OTS. Gradu- cluded two of the officers – that they are endowed by
ating as the wing commander of Alan Gropman and Alan their Creator with certain
his class, he received a regular Osur – who wrote foundational unalienable Rights, that
commission. With experience books on race relations in the among these are Life, Liberty
in nuclear weapons and ballistic Air Force.” and the pursuit of Happiness.’
missiles, he was assigned to If our new nation had fol-
intelligence school at Lowry George continued at the lowed this simple but pro-
AFB, followed immediately by Academy in the Dean’s office found declaration there would
a tour at Tan Son Nhut Air (counseling and scheduling), have been no slavery, no Civ-
Base, providing briefings for and he taught psychology il War, and no necessity to
the Commander of the Strategic courses in the Department of amend the Constitution. I am
th
Air Command’s 15 Air Force. Behavioral Sciences. He com- not a proponent of Critical
He then returned to the Air In- pleted a doctorate in education- Race Theory, or BLM and
telligence Training Center in al administration at the Univer- Antifa, nor do I agree with all
Denver, and he earned an MPA sity of Denver. this recent focus on ‘white
from the University of Colora-
When George Wayne en- do. He finished up his Air Force guilt.’ But as Jefferson stated,
listed in the Air Force in career in Intelligence at NOR- ‘I tremble for my country
1954, right out of high school, At Lowry George was con- AD and retired in 1980 as a when I reflect that God is
he was assigned as a radio tacted by DFH. He became the Lieutenant Colonel. In 1982 he just; that his justice cannot
operator in the B-29. Yes, first African American in the became the first Dean of Stu- sleep forever.’” [DMB]
some of those World War II Department. He attended the dent Academic Services at the
birds were still flying, but University of Denver to com- University of Colorado in Den-
their days soon came to an plete an MA in American social ver. In 1986 he became a dean
end, and George was history and then began his as- at California State University at
“retrained” into the nuclear signment to the Academy. He Sacramento. He served there
weapons career field. After taught the core courses in eight years and retired as Uni-
tours in France and Germany, American, World, and Military versity Vice President. After
he cross trained as a Ballistic History, as well as a course on 9/11, he came out of retirement
Missile System Analyst Tech- American Institutions and Ide- and taught American history at
nician. He was at Moses Lake as. He became DFH’s Advisor- Metropolitan State University
AFB in California during the in-Charge, and credits his teach- for twelve years. “When George
Cuban Missile Crisis, and ing for setting the stage for his speaks frankly,
facing the prospect of a nucle- future academic career. George and his wife Juanita however, he
ar exchange, he recalls, “there are the parents of three, and recalls that “my
were lots of tense moments in When George speaks frank- they have seven grandchildren. time in the
the silo.” ly, however, he recalls that “my One daughter is President of
time in the Department of His- the National Association of Department of
When the Atlas-D ICBMs tory included discouraging mo- Public Defenders. Her sister is History included
were deployed to Plattsburgh ments. It was the most negative an administrator with the Den- discouraging
AFB, New York, it was win- of my 26 years of military ser- ver Public Schools. Son George moments. It was
ter, and the missiles were vice. Yes, I could feel back- attended the Colorado School the most negative
driven to the new, remote silo ward racial attitudes, and it was of Mines and has worked in the of my 26 years of
over icy roads. George re- disappointing to find such atti- energy field; he is an executive military service.”
members how the missile, tudes among the best and with Kinder Morgan.
leaking green glycol, was un- brightest officers in the Air
loaded off the flatbed and Force. Almost daily l was re- George is philosophical. “I
muscled upright before it minded by someone that l was only pray that this great Ameri-
could be lowered into the silo. the token black, not just in sub- can experiment will work.
tle ways, but overtly too.” Sometimes I think other-
In these early assignments, wise! If only we had followed
George earned enough college “These memories are bal- our initial sense of justice and
credits to qualify for the Air- anced, of course, by memories the statement in the Declaration
man Education and Commis- of Department colleagues who of Independence: ‘We hold
sioning Program. After earn-