Did you know?: Late Maj. Gen. John G. 'Jack' Waggener was a Southeast Missouri native

Maj. Gen. John G. "Jack" Waggener's surname will be familiar to those who pass through the west gate of Fort Leonard Wood, the sprawling 98-square-mile Army base near St. Robert, Missouri, in the Ozarks.

Maj. Gen. John "Jack" Waggener

Maj. Gen. John "Jack" Waggener

The west gate of the facility is formally named for Waggener, who died in February 2017 at age 91.

Waggener, a native of Gideon, Missouri, who grew up in Charleston, Missouri, spent his final years at Cape Girardeau's Saxony Village and Lutheran Home.

Leader

Waggener, a 1948 graduate of West Point — formally known as United States Military Academy — commanded Fort Leonard Wood from 1974 to 1976.

"In some ways it was difficult for us (Waggener) children because everybody knew who my dad was," said the late major general's only daughter, Mary Waggener, who lives in Cape Girardeau. "My dad often expressed (his status) as being mayor of the base and he had great outreach with the community."

Legacy

Posthumously inducted into Missouri Veterans Hall of Fame in November 2021, the 6 foot, 2 inch Waggener served 33 years in the Army. He was a combat veteran with service time during the Korean and Vietnam conflicts and, prior to his tenure at Fort Leonard Wood, was commander of the 45th Engineering Group in Vietnam.

Various posts

Maj. Gen. Waggener and his late wife, Mary Ella Waggener, kept mementos inside their Saxony Village duplex of many of the duty stations outside the U.S. in which they lived.

"Dad was stationed in Germany, which is a big location for international placement for the military. We were in Peru for just over three years and in Argentina for two. Dad was an engineer and he was (in Argentina) helping them with roads in the Andes Mountains and in the jungles," said Mary Waggener, who said she and her two brothers were forever conscious of the danger living in the South American country at the time of then-President Juan Peron.

"My dad drove to the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires every day with a driver and a guard. We had a brick wall around our house and had security 24 hours a day. My dad traveled with a weapon in the glove compartment, and in their bedroom there was a rifle and a hand gun. My mother was told never to open the mail and one day she did. There was a threatening note and pictures. Mom read the message, which said we kids were being watched. My mother couldn't wait to leave because of the stress of living in that environment."

Enlisted men

"From his time in Vietnam and particularly because of a close relationship Dad had with a soldier he met while my parents lived for 19 years at Lake of the Ozarks, my dad always spoke highly of sergeants — about how important they were in his career. Because I knew my father felt this way, I've always held enlisted men in high esteem," Mary Waggener said.

Personality

Maj. Gen. Waggener was regarded as a modest man, acknowledging his high status in our nation's armed forces only if someone brought up the topic.

"There are those not only in the military but in civilian life who want others to know how important they are or how much power is behind them. My dad wasn't that way; it was just not part of his personality," Mary recalled.

Next generation

Waggener's paternal grandson, Peyton Waggener, followed his ancestor by attending a military academy — the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. The younger Waggener continues to serve in the Navy as of this writing.

Note: Reporter Jeff Long was once Maj. Gen. Waggener's pastor in Cape Girardeau.