Semper Fi. Always Faithful.
(Editor’s Note: George initially resisted sharing his story, true to his humble nature, but after some encouragement, he agreed. His journey reflects courage, discipline, and the enduring values that continue to shape HICO today.)
Salute to Service
“Semper Fi. Always Faithful. Every Marine is a Rifleman.” George begins his story with respect for all veterans and their families, the quiet strength behind our nation. He also honors Korean veterans whose mandatory service carries the same courage and commitment that define true freedom.
“To my fellow veterans here at HICO,” he shares, “I stand with you. Whether you wore the uniform decades ago or recently, whether you talk about it often or keep it close to the chest, I’m proud to call you teammates.”
The Fork in the Road
At seventeen, still a high school junior, George sat on a bus wondering what came next. College wasn’t calling him, but adventure was. Jumping out of planes and seeing the world sounded like a challenge worth chasing.
He walked into an Army recruiting office, but a Marine with the sharpest shoes and most precise creases he had ever seen looked up and asked, “Why the Army?”
When George gave his reasons, the Marine leaned in and said, “Son, the Marines don’t make you a man. You’re a man the day you decide. The Marines make you a better man.” That was all it took. His path was set.
Sea Duty and the Battleship
Boot camp broke him down and built him up again. After earning one of the most prestigious billets, George served Sea Duty aboard the USS New Jersey (BB-62), the most decorated battleship in U.S. history.
During the Lebanon conflict, he witnessed the chaos of combat following the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut. Sixteen-inch guns thundered against the shoreline as tracer rounds and RPGs lit up the sky.
“It was the kind of chaos that forces you to make split-second, life-or-death decisions,” he recalls.
Recon: The Quiet Professionals
Driven by challenge, George pursued Recon. Recon Marines are quiet professionals, humble, precise, and relentless. At the time, entry required selection, not volunteering.
A Recon Sergeant Major recognized George’s potential and opened the door. The training was brutal, from swimming miles in the dark with only a compass to parachuting into unknown terrain and mastering close-quarters battle.
Before Recon, George served in an STA Platoon, Surveillance and Target Acquisition, where patience became a weapon. He learned to stay motionless for days, waiting for one perfect shot.
“Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast,” he says, repeating a phrase that would guide him long after the Corps.
His journey through the STA Platoon, Recon, and the first ever Close Quarters Battle and Hostage Rescue Team shaped both his character and career.
“The only easy day was yesterday,” he adds with a knowing smile.
After the Corps
When George left the Marines, the mission didn’t end, it evolved. Over the next seventeen years, he served the City of Pittsburgh as a police officer, working narcotics, cold cases, DEA and FBI task forces, and as a SWAT sniper. His commendations from the city and the FBI are symbols of the same discipline and courage that guided his time in the Corps.
“The Marines prepared me for those moments,” he explains. “Police work tested them.”
Whether chasing a suspect through city streets or confronting pure evil, he learned that life often comes down to split-second decisions, and hesitation can cost everything.
Beyond the Badge
George’s story continued when he appeared on the USA Network series Combat Missions. There, he reconnected with fellow operators and co-founded ARC, an organization that rescued abducted children around the world.
One mission in Costa Rica, tracking and freeing a young girl from captors in the jungle, remains one of his proudest memories. The story later inspired a CBS pilot called Recovery.
From the Streets to Sales to Power
Eventually, George’s career shifted toward business. A friend’s wife at Bayer recognized his leadership and offered him a role in sales and marketing. When Bayer closed its facility, he joined HICO America, ready for a new kind of mission.
“Building HICO America’s footprint in the power industry is a different kind of service,” he says, “but in many ways it feels the same, a mission worth giving everything to.”
Reflections on Service
The Marine Corps may be the smallest branch of service, but its heart is immense. For George, Veterans Day is not just about remembering battles or medals, it is about living the values that service instills: loyalty, grit, humility, and faith.
“Service doesn’t end with the uniform,” he says. “It lives in the families who hold down the fort, who carry the weight of absence, and who welcome us home changed. Their strength makes ours possible.”
“The Marines taught me that power is about discipline, precision, and reliability. In the power industry, those same values matter. Equipment, like people, has to be battle-tested, dependable, and built to carry the load.”
Closing Thoughts
Semper Fi. Always Faithful.
If you catch him lost in thought this Veterans Day, he’s not brooding, he’s probably just wondering if he can still fold a shirt into a perfect six-inch square.
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