He descends from Greene Livsey who was born in Culpeper, Virginia in 1774. Although of English descent, he fought in the War of 1812 from his native state. A year later he rode on down the road to Georgia, marrying a girl from White County.

They had settled in the Gwinnett area in the early 1820s and that is where our honoree, William J. Livsey, was born in Clarkston in 1931.

He has one sibling, Jack, whose vocation was building houses.

Their parents were William, who died in 1990 and mother, Erma, who died at the age of 98 this past July. Bill retired in 1987 and his parents were able to share in his illustrious military career.

Bill entered the North Georgia College, now known as North Georgia College & State University, and graduated in 1952. He had wanted to attend Georgia Tech and play baseball, basketball and be a quarterback on the football team. Realizing he might not have the stature to play football at Tech, he chose North Georgia. Here he played baseball and football, and enjoyed playing tailback. Needing all the income he could muster, he joined ROTC at North Georgia because it paid $27.90 a month. His original intention was to teach and be a football coach but the more he learned in the ROTC the more he changed his mind. A career in the military seemed as though it would suit him just fine.

After graduating in 1952 from North Georgia with a bachelor of science degree and an appointment as a 2nd lieutenant in the regular Army, he and three other graduates were all set to teach at Fort Benning, Ga. However, those three were sent there and Bill was sent instead to Korea.

It seems as though the rule of thumb was at that time that if you were still living after 30 days in Korea, you were promoted. So just 30 days after graduation he became a 1st lieutenant. Those three at Fort Benning were still 2nd lieutenants.

In 1954 he commanded his first company with the 30th Infantry at Fort Benning, then served in Germany as a company commander in the 2nd Armored Rifle Battalion, 36th Infantry, 3rd Armored Division.

It was then on to Vietnam from 1967 to 1968 with the 4th Infantry Division as Assistant Chief of Staff, and as Commander, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry of the 3rd Brigade Task Force.

In 1971 he took command of the 2nd Brigade 4th Infantry Division, Mechanized, at Fort Carson, Colo.

It was here that he drew plans in the dirt with a stick and he still carries it. So beware!

From here until 1984, he served as Assistant Division Commander, a Command General, a Deputy Commanding General, United States Army Forces Commander, and Commander General of the third United States Army at Fort McPherson, Ga.

From 1984 until his retirement in 1987, he served as Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Command, Commander-in-Chief Combined Forces Command, Commander, United States Forces, Korea and Commanding General Eighth United States Army.

He was commissioned a four-star general, one of only four born in Georgia, in May, 1984. He is the 122nd one named out of 196 so named. His name is among such illustrious four-star generals as George Washington, John J. Pershing, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Mark Clark, Omar Bradley, and George S. Patton Jr.

If you are a student of the War Between The States, you might include Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, and Philip H. Sheridan.

Jim Minter, a local well-known journalist, attended North Georgia at the same time as Livsey. In his remarks at the highway marker dedication, Minter said, “Since we were at North Georgia in 1948, we only read about four-star generals. We’d never seen one in the flesh, and never expected to see one. And we certainly could not have dedicated Highway 314 to him, because we didn’t have a Highway 314. Our only paved road was seven miles from the Clayton line to the courthouse.”

Minter also mentioned the three other four-star generals, Gen. Courtney Hodges, of Perry who commanded the U. S. First Army in Europe in World War II, Gen. Lucius Clay, of Marietta, commander of the Berlin Air Lift, and John Hendrix, of Bulloch County, commander of Forces Command.

Major General Jack Wheeler, retired, was Master of Ceremonies at the dedication. He served under Livsey for two years.

It is not this reporter’s intention to minimize here the many positions of authority, safekeeping and responsibility General Bill Livsey has held. He served this country for 34 years rising in rank and responsibility each year.

His mantra was threefold; do the right thing every day, take care of your soldiers, and be ready for war.

When the highway sign was unveiled it read, “General Bill Livsey Highway.” He commented that these words should be added, “Soldier’s Highway.”

“It was the soldiers who made things happen,” he said. “I couldn’t have accomplished what I have without them.”

He also gave credit to his wife of 56 years, the former Bena Sue Burns, of East Point, and said that any Army officer could only advance with the help of a good wife. Someone in the audience proffered that if it weren’t for Mrs. Livsey, Bill would still be a colonel. She is also an honor graduate of North Georgia College.

They have lived in Fayette County for 21 years and are the parents of four boys, two of whom are twins. They also have four grandchildren.

As an aside, it was the privilege of this reporter on July 17, 1996, to have passed the flame of the Olympic Torch off to our very own four-star general, William J. Livsey.

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