George "Keith" Garner was born on June 18, 1937 in Sherman, TX to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur G. Garner. He spent the first six years of his life in Durant, OK before his family moved to Amarillo, TX. Inspired by his father, who was an Army sergeant in World War I, Keith joined ROTC at Amarillo High School, where he also played high school sports and from which he graduated in 1955. He then attended Texas A&M for a year prior to entering the United States Military Academy in 1956, joining the West Point Class of 1960. He studied German as his foreign language, and, after two years successfully battling the Foreign Language Department with his “Heart of Texas” accent, Keith graduated in the middle of his class. Keith had a passion for service to others and participated in several extracurricular activities, including Debate Council and Forum, German Club, Fencing Club, Pistol Club, and Ski Club. He was also a Sunday School teacher and the Gymnastics Team manager.

Keith was commissioned Field Artillery and earned Ranger and airborne qualifications prior to attending the Officer Basic Course at Fort Sill, OK. At the end of its basic course in 1961, the Field Artillery Branch asked for 20 volunteers for a new outfit called “Special Forces.” Keith volunteered, but to his great surprise they were neither expected nor welcomed among the units at Fort Bragg, NC. Only first lieutenants were in TO&E. So Keith and cohorts were assigned every sort of disagreeable task in the hopes they would submit requests for reassignment. They designated themselves “D.A.S.L.s” for “dumb a— second lieutenants” and nevertheless persisted. Finally, their dedication paid off, and they entered the Special Forces Officer Course and assignment to units. Keith was assigned to the Army Language School to study the Thai language, and he graduated second in his class, having made the highest recorded score on the Army’s Thai language test at the time. 

After returning to Fort Bragg, Keith was assigned to an A-team for his first of three tours in Vietnam. He was an executive officer during his first tour from 1963 to 1964 at Gia Vuc, which was 140 kilometers from the nearest friendly forces. The team advised a Vietnamese detachment that was in command of a company of Montagnards, and they initiated several combat VC operations. Keith’s second tour was with the 25th Infantry Division from 1966 to 1967 as a member of an advanced party on a troop ship to Vung Tau, which waded ashore from a landing craft. They built their base camp at Cu Chi, where he served five months in the division headquarters and six months as a battery commander. His field artillery battery was the first in the division to conduct several airmobile operations and he concluded this tour as a liaison officer to the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, which made incursions into Cambodia searching for POWs. 

Keith’s third tour from 1971 to 1972 was with the 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment in Phu Loi. He commanded two remote fire bases that were surrounded by NVA and less than a kilometer from the Cambodian border in Tay Ninh Province. The battalion commander placed Keith in charge of these units until the fire bases could be relieved. During that time the pull-out from Vietnam started, and he was sent to Cam Rahn Bay to the Joint Defense Operations Center and put in command of perimeter security. He was one of the last Americans to leave when it was turned over to the Vietnamese. For his service in Vietnam, Keith was awarded three Bronze Stars, four Air Medals (one with “V” device), two Army Commendation Medals, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. His additional awards include two Meritorious Service Medals.

Back in the United States, Keith was assigned as a special security officer to the Army Map Service, which led to being selected as a special assistant to the Army’s Chief of Staff in part of the investigation into the My Lai massacre. Upon completion of the investigation, Keith attended the U.S. Army CGSC. He was also selected to attend Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, TX to complete a master’s degree prior to serving as an assistant professor of military science for five years. Keith was then assigned to the U.S. Army CGSC, where he served as an instructor and as a deputy director in the Department of Tactics. He retired from the Army on December 31, 1980, returning to live in Abilene.

Following his service, Keith had a successful business career for 25 years, and outside of the corporate world Keith’s passion remained focused on service to others, as evidenced by his 50 years as a Kiwanian, as a longtime member and volunteer at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, and 20 years on the Abilene Zoo Board. Outside of his devotion for West Point’s guiding values of Duty, Honor, Country was Keith’s lifelong enthusiasm and love of hunting and fishing. His zeal for hunting led him to Zimbabwe, Africa, as a celebration of his 70th birthday, and if hunting season wasn’t open, Keith fished. He was always accompanied by his well-trained dog as a faithful companion. Keith is survived by his loving wife and lifelong partner of 58 years, Barbara Jean Hines Garner; their two children, James and Elizabeth; and six grandsons.