Jason Everett George was born November 3, 1970 in Bakersfield, CA, the son of Hugh and Candace Mason. Jason’s biological fa­ther was Clyde George.

“JG” or “George” grew up in the high desert of California. As such, he loved the LA Dodgers, American cars, and wearing shorts, even in the coldest weather. He had a great smile and a charming and endearing personality that was a big hit with everyone, including members of the fairer sex. JG pos­sessed a true sense of curious adventure and was genuinely unafraid to have fun at all times, even during stressful situations.

From the very beginning, these traits allowed Jason to accomplish whatever he put his mind to. By the time he graduated from high school, he already had achieved much and was recognized locally as the all American kid. He had achieved his Eagle Scout, worked at NASA, was in the march­ing band, played four diflerent high school sports, was elected president of his National Honor Society, and had kicked the winning field goal in the League Championship game during his senior year at Tehachapi High.

After graduating as salutatorian, Jason entered California State University in Bakersfield, CA, and immersed himself in all aspects of the academic, social, and political activities of the college. He served as Sigma Pi Fraternity social chairman, intramural sports chairman, and vice president of the Inter-Fraternity Council. In addition to being active in the University Republicans Club, JG also found time to be a member of the less well-known Scholastic Surfing Association. After a year, he was appointed to West Point (as well as to Navy and Air Force!).

JG really hit his stride at the Academy. While still driven and dedicated, JG was able to balance his duties with the right mix of audacity and fun. This balance really typi­fied him and drew his classmates to him. In addition to being an undefeated boxer, one of Jason’s unique skills was his ability to rapidly consume voluminous quantities of liquids. We discovered this skill early Plebe year on the steps in Central Area during the spirit rally for the first home football game. JG, a brand new Plebe, handily defeated the upperclassmen in the Corps-wide root beer chugging contest. After three pitchers of root beer in each successive round of competi­tion, he stood in all his glory as the cham­pion. While having fun and winning spirit rally contests, JG proved that he was also the most mature of us all. He was always the first to remember to send gifts to those who had helped him or write thoughtful notes on birthdays or special occasions. Jason always called his parents, Hugh and Candy, every week and always spent the extra time and money to fly home to see them during the holidays. People were always important to JG, and this merely foreshadowed the “social network” he became after graduation.

JG served on active duty for eight years as a combat engineer, including stints in Airborne and Ranger schools, duty stations in Kansas, Texas, and Georgia, and a de­ployment to Bosnia. JG left active service in October 2002 and joined the U.S. Army Reserves. It was during these years that JG emerged as the social network for our class, ten years before Facebook! If you wanted an update on or contact for someone you hadn’t seen in years, JG had the connection. If you had an important event, JG was there.

Jason earned an MBA from the University of Michigan business school in 2004. While there, JG continued to dem­onstrate his finely honed balance between academic and other pursuits. During his first year, he and fellow b-school students formed a group called The Bus.

Under his co-direction, this group (a.k.a. Ultimate Tailgate Machine or Victor I) pur­chased an old school bus and painted it in Michigan colors. This merry band of soon-to-be business leaders drove The Bus to all football games and became the center piece of a proud tailgating tradition. Many can­not recall a single game without fun-loving JG. The Bus and its glorious tradition are now handed down each year to incoming business school students who exemplify JG’s sense of purpose and fun.

JG then worked for a consulting firm in Chicago specializing in health care, helping hospitals and clinics improve efficiency. Not surprisingly, he continued to work hard, have fun, visit friends, attend Michigan and West Point football games, and travel.

In 2008, Jason’s nation called him to ac­tive service. He did not shrink from this call but boldly stepped forward to accept it. JG was assigned one of the most difficult and complex jobs a soldier could have—helping the Iraqis to stand on their own. His charge was to build a sustainable infrastructure and economy by directly facilitating electricity, water, education, and health care. While serving in this capacity, JG lost his life at the hands of a suicide bomber in Baghdad, the first in our class to die in direct combat.

From Eagle Scout to cadet to soldier, he embodied a selfless service to which others can only aspire. Over the course of our lives, many of us immersed ourselves in schools, careers, or even hobbies. JG, on the other hand, immersed himself in people. He made people, both friends and family, his priority—always. This is truly what made him an exceptional friend and leader.

As a result, he is one of those rare people who entered our lives and never will leave. He touched each one of us so profoundly that he changed our lives forever. JG was exactly that person, that friend, and that Soldier. Be Thou at Peace.

Proceeds from the MAJ Jason E. George bracelet will be donated to the Jason George Memorial Foundation.