Photo courtesy of Fortis Construction

SALEM, Oregon – The Oregon Military Department is scheduled to formally dedicate the new Maj. Gen. George A. White Headquarters building in Salem, Oregon, during a dedication ceremony on Sept. 26, 2018, at 2:00 pm.

The facility is located at 230 Geer Dr. NE in Salem, Oregon. Descedants of Maj. Gen. George A. White are scheduled to attend the dedication. The public and media are invited to attend.

“This is a seismically sound, functional and beautifully modern building,” said Stephen Bomar, Director of Public Affairs. “It’s also to honor one of our nation’s and Oregon’s most historic military figures.”

The new headquarters building is named after Maj. Gen. White, honoring the legacy and service of the Oregon National Guard’s longest-serving adjutant general. Until the time of his passing in 1941, White had served nearly 27 years as adjutant general, dating back to Feb. 1, 1915.

Born July 18, 1880, in Long Branch, Illinois, White began nearly a half-century of service to his country by first enlisting in the Utah National Guard on August 1, 1895. After serving in the Utah artillery during the Spanish-American War, he joined the Third Infantry of the Oregon National Guard and was commissioned as a first lieutenant in August 1907. He served on active duty on the Mexican border in 1916, commanding Troop A, Oregon Cavalry, and on Sept. 10, 1917, he was assigned to the newly organized 41st Division prior to WWI. White served in France from Jan. 10, 1918, to June 18, 1919, serving both with the 41st Division and General Headquarters of the American Expeditionary Force, serving on the staff of General John J. Pershing.  

General White was one of four officers credited with founding the America Legion while in France and became the first vice-commander and adjutant while the American troops were still overseas.

He was a graduate of the Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1926, and the Army War College, Washington, D.C. in 1928. White was awarded by the President of France as Chevalier, Ordre De l’Étoile Noire (Knight, Order of the Black Star) and the Cross of the Legion of Honor.

In his professional life, White first started working for the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the age of 16. When White moved to Portland he worked as a journalist, and became a member of the editorial staff for The Oregonian. He later married Henrietta Diana Fletcher and they had two children.

The 41st Division was ordered into federal service to prepare for World War II on September 16, 1940. White led his troops successfully through training maneuvers in California and war games in western Washington, but died on November 23, 1941, after becoming ill.

“General White possessed, as few men did, an ever abiding love for his fellow men and an unflagging devotion for his country. Wherever the 41st Division may go, there also will he go in spirit,” said Lt. Col. John T. Murray, with the publishing of Official Order Number 31 shortly after White’s death.

In 1954, he was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Medal of the American Legion.

The new Oregon National Guard headquarters facility is 55,078 square-feet and is situated on an 8.1-acre parcel adjacent to the Anderson Readiness Center on State Street. With a total financial cost of $26 million, this Military Construction (MILCON) project is a combination of federal ($19.3 million) and state ($6.7 million) funding. The project was awarded in July 2016 to Fortis Construction Company and SERA Architects. Construction commenced in May 2017 and occupancy began in July 2018.

Facility construction meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold and State Energy Efficient Design (SEED) requirements. The facility is designed to ensure operational flexibility, reduce operations and maintenance costs, and will allow for future expansion. In addition, the building will meet seismic Essential Facility requirements for immediate use in emergency response following a seismic event.

The Oregon Military Department’s purpose is to administer, house, equip and train the Oregon National Guard - a ready force to support the governor and a reserve force to the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army. The Oregon National Guard has a long tradition and history dating back to 1843. The National Guard is found in both the U.S. Constitution and the Oregon Constitution. The tradition and history of the Oregon National Guard was grounded on the basis of its motto, "When we are needed, we are there." Nearly 8,000 Soldiers and Airmen currently serve in the Oregon National Guard throughout the state, ready to respond to any contingency, natural or man-made, at home or abroad.