America’s Army has just lost one of its best and brightest – a member of the greatest generation and a superstar in the NCO Corps, – Sgt. Maj. of the Army George W. Dunaway, USA, Ret.

SMA George Dunaway, 85, of Las Vegas, passed away Feb. 6. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Mary (Peck); his two sons, Michael and George; two daughters, Martha Barnett and Suzanne Hunt; 10 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

SMA George W. Dunaway served as the sergeant major of the Army from September 1968 to September 1970.

He was the second noncommissioned officer to hold this post.

Born July 24, 1922, in Richmond, Va., he enlisted in the Virginia Army National Guard’s 29th Division in January 1940, and was mobilized with the division in February 1941.

In 1943, he volunteered for parachute training, then later pathfinder and glider instruction. He spent the majority of his career in airborne infantry assignments, serving with the 501st Airborne Infantry Battalion, the 187th, 505th, 517th, and 542nd Parachute Infantry Regiments along with service in the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions and the special forces.

Dunaway served in France in World War II with the 517th Regimental Combat Team and fought in Germany and Belgium where he participated in the Battle of the Bulge, during the first of his three combat tours.

In September 1950, he and select members of his battalion were sent to Nevada to participate in nuclear testing as part of exercise “Tower Blast.” He would go on to serve as the regimental sergeant major in 1952.

Dunaway served as the sergeant major for the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam. In June 1967, he was assigned as the division sergeant major for the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky., and accompanied this unit to Vietnam.

From there, he was selected by the Army chief of staff, Gen. William C. Westmoreland, as the second sergeant major of the Army.

During his two year tenure, he worked to institutionalize the Office of Sergeant Major of the Army and directly affected soldier policy during an unpopular war.

It was also during his tenure that the Army implemented the newly developed Noncommissioned Officer Education System (NCOES), and he furthered the implemented the Sergeants Major Academy.

Additionally, he was instrumental in correcting what he believed a long-standing problem – the lack of special duty pay for drill instructors, an incentive he believed was needed to attract and retain good soldiers in this all-important and necessary program.

George W. Dunaway retired on September 30, 1970, after 30 years of faithful and selfless service as a soldier.

He continued to support the Army in retirement and as recently as January 8, 2008, he actively participated in the Sergeants Major of the Army Conference at Fort Bliss, Texas.

He remarked during an interview later in his life, “I have been a soldier. When you think of the freedom you enjoy in this country, think of the sacrifices the soldier has made to keep us free.”

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

He will be missed, but his legacy of selfless service to the nation and his accomplishments as a soldier will survive as an example for this and future generations of soldiers.

As we reflect on our loss, let’s not lose sight of the fact that George W. Dunaway had a full, productive life and a successful career as a husband, father, soldier, and citizen and that we are all better for having known him.

Farewell Old Soldier – the torch has been passed.

(Editor’s note: Sergeant Major of the Army Dunaway will be interred in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors at 9 a.m., March 19.)