John G. O'Brien

OBRIEN, HAUTZINGER, GRATTAN, SCHADEL

Posted By: S. Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 3/1/2003 at 18:27:12

Retired Army Brig. Gen. John Gordon O'Brien, 78, died Sunday in a Valley hospital. Graveside services for the Sun City man will be in his native Waukon, Iowa. O'Brien received his law degree from the University of Iowa, then had a private practice in Waukon from 1931 until entering the service in 1940. He was the judge advocate general for Europe and from 1956 to 1960, was commandant of the Judge Advocate General's School in Charlottesville, Va. In 1963, he retired and became assistant dean of the University of Minnesota Law School, a position he held until 1971. He was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, Retired Officers Association of Sun City and First Presbyterian Church in Sun City. Survivors include his wife, Jean; a daughter, Suesan Hautzinger; and three grandchildren. The family suggests contributions to the Waukon Public Libary in Waukon, Iowa.
-Phoenix Gazette; May 7, 1986

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Added 2/28/11 by Connie Ellis (not related)

Retired Brigadier General John Gordon O'Brien, age 78, of Sun City, Arizona was killed in a car accident, on Sunday, May 4, 1986 at Sun City. Graveside services will be held Saturday, May 31 at 11 a.m. at Oakland Cemetery in Waukon, Iowa where military honors will be provided by soldiers from Fort Sheridan, Illinois. Rev. Larry Olson will be officiating. Martin Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

J. Gordon was born January 23, 1908 in Waukon, Iowa to John Edmund and Decorah (Grattan) O'Brien. He attended Waukon School, Waukon Junior College, and graduated from the University of Iowa Law School in 1931. He married Jean Schadel on July 29, 1933 in Red Oak, Iowa.

John practiced law in Waukon, Iowa where he was known as Gordon, from 1931 to 1940 when he was ordered to active duty on November 24, 1940 as assistant staff judge advocate, Headquarters 6th Infantry, Fort Snelling, Minnesota. He became staff judge advocate of the 6th Motorized division in June, 1942 and, in January 1943, was transferred to the Office of the Judge Advocate General for duty in Military Affairs Division. In October 1944, he was transferred to the China-Burma-India Theater for duty as chairman of the board of review of the branch office of the Judge Advocate General. He was relieved from active duty in March 1946 as a colonel and was employed as a lawyer by the Veterans Administration at Des Moines, Iowa until recalled to active duty in May 1947 for duty successively, with the board of review in the Office of The Judge Advocate General and as executive for the assistant judge advocate general for military justice.

In 1949 he was transferred to the United States Army, Pacific for duty as chief of military justice, and in 1952 he was returned to the mainland for duty as staff judge advocate, headquarters, Sixth Armored division at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. In 1953 he was again assigned to the Office of the Judge Advocate General where he served successively, as chairman of a board of review, chief of Government Appellate division and chief of Military Justice.

In March 1957 he was designated commandant of The Judge Advocate General's School at Charlottesville, Virginia and served in that capacity until May 1961 when he was transferred to headquarters, United States Army, Europe, for duty as judge advocate. He retired in 1963 and was assistant Dean of the University of Minnesota Law School from 1963-71.

During his years in the service, he had received the following decorations and medals; The Legion of Merit, Army Commendation Medal with two bronze oakleaf clusters, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.

He and his family lived in Minnesota, Missouri, Washington D.C., Hawaii, New Delhi, India, California, Germany, Virginia, Arizona, and Iowa.

He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Sons of the American Revolution, the Retired Officers Association, The Judge Advocates Association, and a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Sun City, Arizona.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and by a brother, Henry Gratton O'Brien.

Surviving him are his wife, Jean, a daughter Susan Hautzinger, and 3 grandchildren, Peter, Sarah, and Andrew Hautzinger.

~WAUKON REPUBLICAN-STANDARD May 27, 1986