John Luke "Jack" OSTEEN Jr.
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth: Nov 13, 1924 - Greensboro, North Carolina
Christening:
Death:
Burial:
Cause of Death:
Parents
Father: John Luke OSTEEN Sr. (1892-1980)
Mother: Ruth TATUM (1897-1953)
Spouses and Children
1. *Patricia Lee HANNUM (Mar 21, 1928 - )
Marriage: Jul 10, 1954 - Fort Benning, Georgia
Status:
Children:
1. Lindsey Ruth OSTEEN (1955- )
2. John Luke OSTEEN III (1958- )
3. Ann Hannum OSTEEN (1961- )
Notes
General:
[Eugenia Lindsey FTW]
"Jack" grew up in the Guiford College community near Greensboro, NC. After graduating from high school in 1941, he spent almost two years at Oak Ridge Military Institute near Greensboro, NC. Jack was called into the service in 1943, and served for 18 months, then entered West Point in 1844. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1948.
Jack was with the 1st Calvary Division in Japan as an Army Infantry Lieutenant when North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950. His division was moved to Korea to join the fight. He was promoted to Captain and served as a rifle company commander, and as a regimental staff officer. Jack was involved in five campaigns, from the Pusan Perimeter to near the Yalu River bordering China, and was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry. Several Years later, Jack returned to South Korea where he served a tour of duty as battalion commander.
After Korea, he served in a variety of army infantry and airborne infantry jobs in the U.S. and overseas. Two of the most memorable were two years at the Army Indoctrination School at Big Delta, Alaska, and three years as a tactical officer at West Point.
In 1953, he met the girl of his dreams. Miss Patricia Lee Hannum, of Council Bluffs, Iowa. They were married on July 10, 1954.
In 1968, while Jack was serving in Hawaii, he was once again called upon to enter combat for his country. He left his family in Hawaii and entered the Vietnam War as an infantry colonel. He was G3 operations officer for the XXIV corps. which consisted of approximately 10,000 soldiers and marines, including three U.S. divisions, and one South Vietnam division. During the last half of his 14 month tour of duty in Vietnam, he served as commander of a combat brigade that consisted of about 8,400 soldiers, Their combat arena was near the Demilitarized Zone that separated North and South Vietnam.
Jack's family truly shared the military life that he led. The were with him in Alaska, Hawaii, Thailand, and numerous places in the lower 48 states. His family moved 20 times in 15 years, and that requires a lot of work, good-byes, school changes, and making new friends in faraway places. They also endured the anxiety that faces every family, when a family member in involved in war.
The military life demanded much of Jack and his family, and gave them much in return, such as, a great sense of love and togetherness, self confidence, strength and a treasure of fond and happy memories.
During his career, Jack graduated from various service schools, earned his Master's degree in International Affairs and attended Harvard Business School.
After Vietnam, he was promoted to Brigadier General, and then to Major General. During this time he and his family served two years in Thailand, and two years in Georgia, and wound up his career at the Presidio of San Francisco in 1979, after 32 1/2 years of active service.
Since his retirement, Jack went on to become a Financial Consultant with Interstate-Johnson Lane in Brevard, NC. Jack and Pat are resident of Pisgah Forest, North Carolina.
This information comes from the Banther Family History book and was shared with me by Nell Lance Waldrop.