Colonel Gregory Lee Troutman (US Army, Ret.)

Gregory Lee Troutman, Colonel, US Army Ret., son of the late Rosco Lee Troutman and Sadie Earnhardt Troutman Harris of Kannapolis, NC, was born in Salisbury, NC on March 12, 1931. He and his beloved wife, Eleanor were residents of Atlanta, GA for the past thirty years until their recent move to SC. Greg passed away peacefully on October 24, 2020, in Mt. Pleasant, SC.

Greg's early years include Boy's State attendee, recipient of the SC DAR Oratorical Award, a member of the Civil Air Patrol and the Order of the DeMolay, and President of the Student Body of Spartanburg High School. He graduated from Wofford College with a BS degree, an ROTC Officer, a member of the Kappa Alpha Fraternity Delta Chapter, serving as President in his senior year. He earned a Master's Degree in Business from George Washington University.

Entering the Army in 1953 as a commissioned officer in the Infantry, he was assigned to the 188th Airborne Regimental Combat Team, then to the 187th Airborne Division; Col. Troutman, a Master Paratrooper, served in Germany, in the Lebanon Conflict; in Korea; in Viet Nam-1965 on Gen. Westmoreland's Select Committee to designate and develop Cam Ranh Bay as the primary military Naval Base, a second tour in Viet Nam-1968 as a Battalion Commander of the 1st Air Cavalry; served as the Army Rep to the Naval Command in Norfolk/Little Creek, VA, and as the Army USIA Delegate - directed by the Vice President of the U.S.; the Army Staff-G3 at the Pentagon, the Joint Chiefs of Staff as Deputy of Plans and Operations, was recognized as the 'Father of FEMA'; Deputy Commander of the U.S. Training Mission in Saudi Arabia; and from Ft. Bragg, NC HQ, the ROTC Commander for Colleges and Universities in NC, SC, GA , AL and PA.

Col. Troutman was a graduate of the Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, and the Army War College in Carlisle, PA. He was the recipient of numerous awards to include the Silver Star Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Legion of Merit Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, along with many other combat and service awards.

After retiring from the military in 1983, Col. Troutman joined United Services Planning Association, now First Command, in Fayetteville, NC. He first managed the Tampa, FL area, then District Manager with offices in Atlanta and Columbus, GA, Anniston and Huntsville, AL. Retiring from his second career in 1998, Greg and his lovely wife for 67 years, Eleanor, chose to remain in Atlanta, enjoying Fox Theatre productions, attending home games of the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Falcons throughout the '90's, and their second home in Mt. Pleasant, SC. Always an enthusiastic world traveler, in recent years he took pleasure in taking extraordinary vacations with Eleanor, their son, Brad, and daughter-in-law, Reta. He continued to keep their home's backyard wooded area in park-like condition and was a main benefactor of the many well-fed birds in the neighborhood.

Col. Troutman was a member of Dunwoody United Methodist Church, the Crusaders Sunday School Class, the VFW Post 10822, and the American Legion Post 134. In previous years, he was a Lion's Club President, also engaged in his sons' scouting and athletic endeavors and was an active volunteer in community and charitable events.

In addition to his wife, Eleanor, survivors include two sons and their wives - Gregory Troutman, Jr. and Anne of Pawleys Island, SC, and Bradley Troutman and Reta of Mt. Pleasant, SC, sister-in-law Aliene B. Herin of Greer, SC, his Herin nieces and nephews, and his Earnhardt and Troutman cousins in NC. The deceased was preceded in death by Lee Rosco Troutman, Jr., his half-brother, Dorothy Breazeale, his sister-in-law, and Earl Herin, his brother-in-law. A private Memorial Service will be held and Interment will be in Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, DC. Memorial Contributions may be designated for the Wounded Warrior Project.