John T. Gereski

John Gereski enlisted in the Connecticut National Guard on June 17, 1956 at the age twenty. He reached the rank of Sergeant as a member of the 143d Tank Battalion in Naugatuck, CT. He attended the Connecticut Military Academy's Officer Candidate School (OCS) in 1957. Upon graduation, he was discharged as an enlisted soldier and accepted an appointment as a Second Lieutenant on June 6, 1957. He served his career as a full-time National Guardsman with several tours at the National Guard Bureau in Virginia. John Gereski attended the National War College, studying national security policy formulation and implementation. His thesis was entitled “Can the Reserve Components Perform as Adequate Backup Force to Active Components in the 1980s?”

Colonel John T. Gereski was recalled from his position at the Pentagon by Governor William A. O'Neill on March 18, 1985 to complete the unexpired term of Major General John F. Gore, who was forced to resign as Adjutant General due to improper behavior. Governor O'Neill appointed him to a full four-year term on July 1, 1986 and again on July 1, 1990. During his second full term as Adjutant General, he oversaw the largest mobilization of Connecticut National Guard forces in forty years due to Operation Desert Storm.[1]

John Gereski married Diana T. Calabro of Waterbury, CT on July 7, 1962. Together they had three children, John, Jr. born on April 12, 1963, David born on March 5, 1965 and Duane born on June 21, 1971. Diana would follow her husband between assignments in Connecticut and Virginia, working as a school teacher. They retired to Fairfax Station, VA to be close to family and a vacation home on the Chesapeake Bay. John died on November 4, 2007 and Diana followed him on February 8, 2009. At the time of their death, they had six grandchildren.[3]