donaldbyers
11/3/2009 7:00:10 PM | George H. Menzel was born February 21, 1924 in Baltimore and grew up in Catonsville, MD where he attended public schools. He was the son of the late Herman G. and Barbara Ruth Menzel. He went forever aloft on November 2, 2009.
George attended Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA where he graduated in 1947with a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in History. His undergraduate studies were interrupted by service in the United States Army Air Force from 1943 to 1945. He served as a bombardier and as an navigator flying thirty-five combat missions over Europe in the 614th Squadron of the 401st Bombardment Group in the Eighth Air Force. For his service he was awarded The Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters, the American Theater Medal , the European Theater Medal with three Battle Stars and the Victory Medal. He was separated as a First Lieutenant in October 1945. He graduated in 1949 from the Georgetown University School of Law with a Juris Doctor degree and was admitted to practice before the Federal Courts in Washington, DC including the United States Supreme Court.
In 1950 he entered the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as a Special Agent. His service included assignments to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, DC., Cincinnati, FBI Headquarters and Savannah, Georgia as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge. In 1975 he was awarded the rank of Inspector and retired in 1976. In 1976 and 1977 he was employed as Manager of Safety and Security for the Union Camp Corporation in Savannah, GA. He resigned in 1977 to accept the position of Assistant Professor at the Armstrong Atlantic State University (AASU). In 1984 he was awarded the H. Dean Propost Award as the Outstanding Faculty Member. At the time of his retirement in 1985 he was a tenured Associate Professor. He continued teaching part time at AASU until 1988. In 1994 he authored a non fiction book “Portrait of a Flying Lady.” The book covered the history of the 401st Bombardment Group in the Eighth Air Force in WWII and the true story of one Flying Fortress and its crew all the way to Moscow, USSR. His writing career was interrupted in 1995 when he accepted the position of Secretary & Treasurer for the 401st Bombardment Group (H) Association, Inc. He was subsequently named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
He was one of the founders of Savannah Crimestoppers, served two years as its Board Treasurer and one year as its Chairman; he continued service as Emeritus Member of the Board of Directors. He formerly served as a member of the Advisory Board of the Criminal Justice Regional Training Center at AASU and the Board of the Crime Prevention Institute at AASU. He was a former member of the Savannah Exchange Club and a former member of the American Society For Industrial Security. He was a member of Sigma Pi Fraternity, the Coastal Georgia Chapter of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI, a life member of the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, a life member of the Eighth Air Force Historical Society and a member of the Birthplace Chapter (Savannah) of the society, a member of the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Post 56 of the American Legion, a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a life member of the J. Edgar Hoover Center for Law Enforcement and a member of The Landings Club, Inc.
Remembrances: The 401st Bombardment Group (H) Association, Inc. Post Office Box 15356, Savannah, GA 31416.
Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
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