It’s tough to underestimate the impact George A. Joulwan has had in a military and civilian career at the nation’s highest levels and beyond.
Born in Pottsville in 1939, he went on to serve in the Pentagon, the White House and as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, or SACEUR.
As NATO commander, he made history by crafting the first ever strategic policy for the U.S. military in Africa.
In that position, which he held from 1993 to 1997, he conducted over 20 missions in the Balkans, Africa and the Middle East.
Joulwan played a leading role in troop deployment when the U.S. sent forces into Bosnia, a move that earned him praise from President Bill Clinton.
There are those, no doubt, who witnessed Joulwan’s capabilities when he wore No. 40 and made All State as a center with the Crimson Tide in 1957.
His athletic prowess went a long way in earning an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he excelled in football and basketball.
That same determination emerged in Vietnam, where as a captain in the 1st Infantry Division, he earned a Silver Star for bravery in combat. Disregarding his own safety, he pulled some of his troops to safety during a napalm attack in September 1966. Actually, he did two tours in Vietnam, becoming Chief-of-Staff of the 3rd Infantry Division.
Holder of a masters degree in political science from Loyola University, Joulwan served as special assistant to Gen. Alexander Haig when he was chief of staff to President Richard Nixon. Haig was Joulwan’s commander in Vietnam, and was impressed by his capabilities. They remained friends until Haig’s passing in 2010.
Twice, Joulwan was awarded the Legion of Merit for meritorious service to the country.
After 36 years in uniform, he retired as a four-star general in 1997, and was succeeded at NATO by Gen. Wesley Clark.
Joulwan never forgot his roots in Pottsville, saying he was proud to have grown up on Pottsville’s East Side.
Joulwan served as honorary chairman of the committee for the Schuylkill County Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Schuylkill Haven. He gave one of his last speeches as NATO commander at the monument’s dedication in 1997.
Speaking on Memorial Day in Pottsville’s Garfield Square in 2021, Joulwan appealed for national unity.
Politics, he said, was polarizing American citizens more than almost anytime in the nation’s history.
“I am concerned,” he said, “that there’s too much hatred going on in this country.”
His visit coincided with the publication of his memoir, “Watchman at the Gate: A Soldier’s Journey from Berlin to Bosnia.”
A park at the former East Side swimming area is named in Joulwan’s honor. A monument featuring a bust of Joulwan was dedicated outside the Schuylkill County Historical Society in 1997.
After retiring, Joulwan taught at West Point and was a guest commentator for television networks.
Joulwan, 86, lives in Virginia.
Editor’s Note: This column is the fourth in a weekly series leading up to the nation’s semiquincentennial on July 4 that will recognize people from Schuylkill County who made major contributions to the history of the United States.
