They were known as the Greatest Generation and very few are left to tell the stories. George Lester is still around, and few people are better suited to share the story than him.
The Greatest Generation is typically defined as people born from 1901 to 1927, shaped by the Great Depression and composing the bulk of enlisted forces in World War II. The term was popularized by the title of Tom Brokaw’s 1998 book. Brokaw wrote that these men and women fought not for fame or recognition, but because it was the “right thing to do.” It was more common to see or hear of men and women fighting for the honor to serve than finding ways to avoid that service.
George Lester was only 15 years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941.
“I remember my mother telling me that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor,” Lester said. “I didn’t even know where Pearl Harbor was. The President declared war the next day.”
Moved by the events and spurred on by his friend, Bill McKee, Lester set about convincing his parents to allow him to enlist. Shortly after Lester turned 16 his parents reluctantly decided to support his decision. Lester left Union Grove High School a year early and began an amazing journey.
“I was supposed to meet my buddy and go enlist,” Lester said. “Bill never showed up so I went in alone.”
Lester completed boot camp and, as fate would have it, found himself stationed at Pearl Harbor for the duration of the war. Shortly after his arrival, a call went out for musicians to audition for the Marine Corps Band. Having been a member of his high school’s marching band, Lester took a chance on becoming a part of one of the world’s truly elite organizations.
“I played clarinet and had for years,” Lester said. “I don’t want to brag, well, yes I do. Forty-four people auditioned that day and only three were accepted. I was able to join some of the best musicians in the world. It was very humbling.”
Being part of such a prolific band put Lester in the position of being able to play for some rather prominent people. The Marine Corps Band played for the likes of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Admiral Chester Nimitz. It was another audience, however, that Lester counts as his greatest.
“Right after Iwo Jima the Navy sent a hospital ship full of injured Marines to Pearl Harbor,” Lester said. “We played the Marine Hymn as the ship entered the harbor. When I looked up, I could see that all those Marines had made their way to the rail. Some had to be helped and some were in wheelchairs. When we finished, we were met with the most thunderous cheer I’ve ever heard. I will never forget that day.”
Lester wiped a tear away as he finished his story.
“I’m getting better,” he said. “There was a day when I couldn’t tell that story without crying like a baby.”
Lester will be the first to tell you that he is no hero. He witnessed people and moments that painted a different picture of what that title means compared to his own service. What he fails to factor into the equation is that every cog of the machine keeps it moving and operating. George Lester fought to serve, and he fits the bill with no room for doubt.
Following the war, he embarked on a truly remarkable life. After receiving his honorable discharge, he worked for Civil Service at Red River Arsenal in New Boston, Texas and Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama for a total of seven years.
In 1953 Lester became a radio announcer. He spent the next four decades on the air in major markets including San Antonio, Seattle, New Orleans, Omaha and Houston. In 1972 he was introduced onstage at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Another time he sang on stage at Gilley’s night club in Pasadena, Texas, made famous during the 1980 film “Urban Cowboy.”
Lester will turn 97 years old in February. He is spry, humorous and in remarkable health.
“I read where you must be at least 95 years old to be a World War II veteran,” Lester said. “A lot of people my age don’t feel good and don’t get around very well. But I feel great. I’m blessed with good health and I enjoy every day.”
These days Lester spends his days at Legacy at Town Creek, a skilled nursing facility in Palestine. Most days he has lunch with his friend, retired Air Force Colonel Kempner “Bear” Gleason.
“When I was a Private First Class in the Marines, I never thought there would be a day where I would sit next to a full bird Colonel and call him by his nickname,” Lester chuckled.
Still the entertainer, you can easily still hear the golden voice from a lifetime of radio broadcasting as Lester takes every opportunity to sing for his fellow residents, having memorized over 150 songs during his time in the entertainment world. Every Saturday Lester takes the floor at 2 p.m. to share a few tunes and his hope is for people all over the community to join him.
“I just love meeting people and getting to know them,” Lester said. “Life is too short to miss out on knowing the people around you.”
Perhaps he is onto something. The one certainty, however, is life is too short not to know George Lester.
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