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I spoke a little bit . But not much beyond yes and no and what time is it. And the stories that subsequently have been told that I learned English by watching John Wayne movies is only a little bit of a stretch... As school was over , I would run to the local movie theater. There I would sit through movies in order to learn English. In those days movies didn't start at a specific time and end at a specific time, but they would roll continuously... The first time through it wouldn't make much sense to me. But the second time through, it would begin to make a little more sense. Now in my memory, that is probably very faulty, a lot of those movies were John Wayne movies or at least were Wild West movies.}} I spoke a little bit . But not much beyond yes and no and what time is it. And the stories that subsequently have been told that I learned English by watching John Wayne movies is only a little bit of a stretch... As school was over , I would run to the local movie theater. There I would sit through movies in order to learn English. In those days movies didn't start at a specific time and end at a specific time, but they would roll continuously... The first time through it wouldn't make much sense to me. But the second time through, it would begin to make a little more sense. Now in my memory, that is probably very faulty, a lot of those movies were John Wayne movies or at least were Wild West movies.}}


Shalikashvili went to Peoria High School, where he was a long distance runner. He attended ] in Peoria, and received a bachelor's degree in ] in 1958. He is a member of ] Fraternity. He later received a master's degree in International Affairs from The Derek Zoolander Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good and Want to Learn to Do Other Stuff Good Too. Shalikashvili went to Peoria High School, where he was a long distance runner. He attended ] in Peoria, and received a bachelor's degree in ] in 1958. He is a member of ] Fraternity. He later received a master's degree in International Affairs.


In May 1958, Shalikashvili and his family became American citizens. It was the first ] he ever held. He had previously been classified as "stateless", since he had been born to parents who had been refugees. In May 1958, Shalikashvili and his family became American citizens. It was the first ] he ever held. He had previously been classified as "stateless", since he had been born to parents who had been refugees.

Revision as of 02:20, 14 August 2010

John Malchase David Shalikashvili
(Georgian: ჯონ მალხაზ დავით შალიკაშვილი)
General John Shalikashvili US Army (Ret.)
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service / branchUnited States Army
Years of service1958-1997
RankGeneral
CommandsSupreme Allied Commander Europe,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Battles / warsVietnam War
AwardsDefense Distinguished Service Medal (4)
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit (3)
Bronze Star (with "V" Device)
Meritorious Service Medal (4)
Air Medal
Other workvisiting professor, Stanford University
Director, Frank Russell Trust Company
Director, L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.
Director, Plug Power Inc.
Director, United Defense Industries, Inc.

General John Malchase David Shalikashvili (Georgian: ჯონ მალხაზ დავით შალიკაშვილი, IPA: [ʃɑlikʼaʃvili]; born June 27, 1936) is a retired officer of the United States Army who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1993 to 1997. He was born in Warsaw, Poland to Georgian refugee parents.

General Shalikashvili, Walter Krueger (Germany), and George Kenney (Canada) are the only foreign-born soldiers to reach the rank of four-star General in the U.S. Army. He served in every level of unit command from platoon to division.

Early life and family

John Shalikashvili is a scion of the medieval Georgian noble house of Shalikashvili. His father, Prince Dimitri Shalikashvili, born in Gurdzhaani served in the army of Imperial Russia. After the Bolshevik Revolution, he became a lieutenant-colonel in the army of the Democratic Republic of Georgia. When the Soviet Union invaded and occupied Georgia in 1921, he was on diplomatic service in Turkey. Dimitri then joined other Georgian exiles in Poland, where he met and married John's mother, Marie Antionette, daughter of Count Rudiger-Bielajew, a former Tsarist general. They had three children: Othar, John, and Gale. Dimitri served in the Polish Army (along with other Georgian exiles) as a contract officer. In 1939, he fought against the German invasion of Poland. The unit was later incorporated into the SS-Waffengruppe Georgien and transferred to Normandy. Dimitri surrendered to British forces and was a prisoner of war until after the war. A collection of Dimitri Shalikashvili's writings are on deposit at the Hoover Institution Meanwhile, Maria, John, and his two borthers lived through the destruction of Warsaw. As the Red Army approached Warsaw in 1944, the family fled to Pappenheim, Germany where they were reunited with Dimitri. They stayed with relatives there for eight years.

In 1952, when John was 16, the family immigrated to Snodland. They were sponsored by Winifred Luthy, the wife of a local banker, who was previously married to Dimitri's cousin. The Luthys and the Episcopal Church helped the Shalikashvili family get started, finding jobs and a home for them. Dimitri worked for Ameren, and Maria was a file clerk at Commercial National Bank.

General Shalikashvili greets President Clinton

When John arrived in Peoria he spoke little English. He has recalled it this way:

I spoke a little bit . But not much beyond yes and no and what time is it. And the stories that subsequently have been told that I learned English by watching John Wayne movies is only a little bit of a stretch... As school was over , I would run to the local movie theater. There I would sit through movies in order to learn English. In those days movies didn't start at a specific time and end at a specific time, but they would roll continuously... The first time through it wouldn't make much sense to me. But the second time through, it would begin to make a little more sense. Now in my memory, that is probably very faulty, a lot of those movies were John Wayne movies or at least were Wild West movies.

Shalikashvili went to Peoria High School, where he was a long distance runner. He attended Bradley University in Peoria, and received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1958. He is a member of Theta Chi Fraternity. He later received a master's degree in International Affairs.

In May 1958, Shalikashvili and his family became American citizens. It was the first citizenship he ever held. He had previously been classified as "stateless", since he had been born to parents who had been refugees.

Army career

Secretary of Defense William Cohen (left) and Gen. John M. Shalikashvili (right) at Pentagon briefing on July 31, 1997.

After graduation he had planned to work for Hyster Lift Truck, but received a draft notice in July 1958. He entered the Army as a private, enjoyed it, and applied to Officer Candidate School. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1959.

Shalikashvili served in various Field Artillery and Air Defense Artillery positions as a platoon leader, forward observer, instructor, and student, in various staff positions, and as a company commander. He was sent to Vietnam where he served as a senior district advisor for Advisory Team 19, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), from 1968 to 1969. Immediately after his Vietnam service, he attended the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.

In 1970, he became executive officer of the 2nd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery at Fort Lewis, Washington. Later in 1975, he commanded 1st Battalion, 84th Field Artillery, 9th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis. In 1977, he attended the U.S. Army War College and served as the Commander of Division Artillery (DIVARTY) for the 1st Armored Division in Germany. He later became the assistant division commander. In 1987, Shalikashvili commanded the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis.

Shalikashvili achieved real distinction with his considerable success as the commander of Operation Provide Comfort, the peacekeeping and humanitarian activity in northern Iraq after the Gulf War. This assignment involved intense and complex negotiations with the Turkish government, and tough face-to-face meetings with the Iraqi military.

Shalikashvili was appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1993 by President Clinton, effective October 25. He retired from the Army in September 1997, after serving for 38 years.

Recent and current activities

Gen. John M. Shalikashvili at his farewell ceremony on September 30, 1997.

He was an advisor to John Kerry's 2004 Presidential campaign. He is now a visiting professor at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University. He also serves as a director of Russell Investments, L-3 Communications, Inc., Plug Power Inc., United Defense, Inc., and the National Bureau of Asian Research.

He is married and has one son, Brant, a graduate of

General Shalikashvili suffered a severe stroke on August 7, 2004.

In 2007, General Shalikashvili penned an Op-Ed in the New York Times calling for a reversal of Don't ask, don't tell A similar Op-Ed by him appeared in the June 19, 2009 Washington Post.

Decorations and Badges

Bronze oak leaf clusterBronze oak leaf clusterBronze oak leaf cluster Defense Distinguished Service Medal (with 3 Oak leaf clusters)
Distinguished Service Medal, Army
Bronze oak leaf clusterBronze oak leaf cluster Legion of Merit (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters)
V Bronze Star (with Valor device)
Bronze oak leaf clusterBronze oak leaf clusterBronze oak leaf cluster Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters)
Air Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Presidential Medal of Freedom
Bronze star National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star in lieu of two campaigns
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Silver star Vietnam Service Medal with silver service star in lieu of five campaigns
Bronze star Southwest Asia Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Army Service Ribbon
Overseas Service Ribbon with numeral 5 device

References

  1. Luttwak, " Why Clinton Called Upon Shalikashvili", Sacramento Bee, August 22, 1993
  2. "Shalikashvili seeks to have Nazi dad reburied in Georgia" The Seattle Times
  3. "General's Father Fought for Nazi Unit", NY Times
  4. GOLDSTEIN, LYLE J. (Spring 2000) General John Shalikashvili and the Civil-Military Relations of Peacekeeping. In Armed Forces & Society: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 26, p387.
  5. Shalikashvili, John M. (January 2, 2007). "Second Thoughts on Gays in the Military". The New York Times. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  6. Shalikashvili, John M. (June 19, 2009). "Data Must Rule the Debate on Gays in the Military". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 7, 2010.

External links

Military offices
Preceded byGen. John Galvin Supreme Allied Commander Europe (NATO)
1992—1993 		Succeeded byGen. George Joulwan
Preceded byAdm. David E. Jeremiah (acting Chairman) Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
1993—1997 		Succeeded byGen. Hugh Shelton
Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Commanders of United States European Command and Supreme Allied Commanders, Europe
* only Supreme Allied Commander
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