George W. "Speedy" Gaspard Jr.

Lt. Col. George Wallace Gaspard Jr. was born at Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Ala., on August 5, 1926, the son of the late George W. Gaspard of MN and Annie Lou Bamberg of AL. He passed away on January 30, 2018 in his home in Saint Johns, FL. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1944 to 1946 and first entered the U.S. Army on June 11, 1951. In May 1952, he reported to Fort Benning, Ga., as a student in the first all officer class at the Ranger course, followed by attendance at a special course at the Air Ground School located at Southern Pines, N.C. He the applied for transfer to the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), which had just been organized at Fort Bragg, N.C. He served as a team leader in the 18th SF Operational Detachment, and in November 1952 attended Special Forces Class #1.

In March 1953, then Lt. Gaspard was assigned to FEC/LD 8240AU FECOM during the Korean War, where he commanded four enlisted men and 80 South Korean agents, who were dispatched behind enemy lines to gather intelligence on the North Koreans. In October 1954, Gaspard joined the 77th SF Group (A) as a guerrilla warfare instructor with the Psychological Warfare School’s Special Forces Department. He was subsequently transferred to the 187th ARCT and honorably discharged in September 1957. From 1960-1962, he served as a civilian mobilization designee with the Special Warfare department in the Pentagon. In April 1962, he was recalled to active duty and assigned to the 5th SF Group (A) at Fort Bragg, commanding Det A-13; and in September opened a new Special Forces Camp in Kontum Province at Dak Pek, Vietnam, which remained the longest continuously active SF/ARVN Ranger camp until it was overrun in 1972.

Capt. Gaspard returned to Fort Bragg in 1963 as adjutant and HHC commander of the newly formed 6th SF Group (A). In July 1965, he reported to AID Washington, DC and subsequently to AID Saigon, assigned as a provincial adviser in Quang Duc Province. He was instrumental in negotiations to peacefully transfer FULRO personnel to the Army of South Vietnam. He was promoted to major in 1966, and after completing this tour, reported to 1 SF Group (A), Okinawa. In October 1967, he returned to Vietnam and directed the MACVSOG Strata program. With the SOG Commander, Col. Jack Singlaub, Maj. Gaspard briefed Gen. Westmorland and Gen. Abrams on future STRATA operations, resulting in 24 helo insertions and 22 1-2 extractions into North Vietnam’ with one STRATA team becoming surrounded and requiring emergency extraction. Maj. Gaspard, riding a hydraulic penetrator, twice descended to remove a wounded agent and was awarded the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism and the Purple Heart Medal. He returned to SOG 1969; 2qw promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1971; and reported to 1st SF Group, Okinawa as the group executive officer, and later assuming command of the 1st Battalion.

Lt. Col. Gaspard retired in August 1973.

His awards and decorations include: the Silver Star Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with V-device and five Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Medal with V-device and three Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Combat Infantryman’s Badge with one Battle Star, Master Parachutist Badge, Pacific Theater Service Ribbon with one Campaign Star, Korea Service Ribbon with two campaign Stars, Vietnam Service Campaign Ribbon with 15 campaign Stars, 18 other service and foreign awards including the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Gold, Silver and Bronze stars, U.S. Navy Parachute Wings, Korea Master Parachutist Wings, Vietnamese Master Parachutist Wings, Thailand Master Parachutist Wings and Cambodia Parachute Wings.

In 1985, Colonel Gaspard entered the South Carolina State Guard and was subsequently appointed in 1987 as Chief of Staff with the rank of Brigadier General. In 1991, he was inducted into the Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame at Fort Benning, Georgia. In 2010, BG Gaspard became a Distinguished Member of the Special Forces Regiment.

Lt. Col. Gaspard was a member of SFA, SOA, VFW, MOAA, American Legion and Sons of Confederacy.

Lt. Col. Gaspard is survived by his loving wife Suzanne R. Fox Gaspard; children, Margaret A. Wornica (Dennis), George W. Gaspard, III., Michael B. Gaspard (Donna), Jeannette G. Marshall (John), Graham C. Gaspard (Marla), Towsend Gaspard and Kirsten Gaspard; eight grandchildren; and three great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Green Beret Foundation, The George C. Morton Memorial Scholarship Fund(SOA),Community Hospice of Jacksonville, FL, St Augustine Humane Society, St Augustine, FL, Jacksonville Humane Society, Jacksonville, FL.

Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, February 18th at 3 pm in Hardage-Giddens Funeral Home of Mandarin.