George Thomas Shields
PFC in 3133rd Signal Service Co
ASN#33771826
Born 1925 in PA, Died 2001
Other residence(s): Philadelphia, PA; Hartford, CT; Montpelier, VT; Highgate Center, VT
United States Army, European Theatre of Operations
College education after the war: St. Michael's Seminary (NJ)
George Shields was born on November 18, 1925 in Philadelphia, PA, the oldest of four children. His father was an electrician and later a meter reader for the gas company.
He registered for the draft on November 18, 1943, his 18th birthday, and enlisted a few months later on February 23, 1944. He was assigned to the 3133 Signal Service Company, and served in Europe from his arrival in Italy in March until November 22, 1945.
His military records show that he enlisted again on November 1, 1946, and was discharged two months later, on January 3, 1947 at the Washington DC Separation Center.
At some point after returning to the states, he enrolled at St. Michael’s Monastery, a seminary in Union City, NJ. We know he was living in the Union City area in 1950, and his obituary states that he graduated from St. Michael’s. Records here are thin, but he may have been ordained as a Passionist priest in the Catholic faith in 1957.
If he was indeed ordained, he eventually left the priesthood. He married Marian Holt on March 3, 1966, and they would go on to have two children: Joseph and Kirsten.
By 1970, George was working as the Director of the Hartford (CT) Association for Retarded Children. Two years later, the family of four moved to Montpelier, VT, and later to Highgate Center, VT; there George went to work for the state of Vermont. His obituary states that he also “enjoyed being part of his community and was an active part of his church congregation.”
George and Marian divorced on August 24, 1985. George would continue to work for the state of Vermont until he reached the age of 65, in 1990.
He died on January 15, 2001 in Burlington VT, following a brief illness.
Sources:
1930 census
1940 census
1943 draft card
1950 Pennsylvania Veteran Compensation File
1970 Hartford city directory
1985 divorce record
https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8954/records/101507?tid=69836408&pid=46592510422&ssrc=pt
1986 mother’s obituary in the Philadelphia Daily News (PA)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/169342957/?match=1&terms=alice%20COLLINS%20shields
1989 son’s marriage record
https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1606/images/31394_203910-01575?pId=1350823045
1999 daughter’s marriage record
2001 Social Security Applications and Claims Index
2001 Vermont death record
2001 VA death record
2001 obituary in the Burlington Free Press (VT)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/202819297/?match=1&terms=george%20t%20shields