George J. Betor

Major General George J. Betor EWING - Major General George J. Betor, U.S. Army Retired, died on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009 at Capital Health at Fuld. General Betor lived in the area all of his life. Born in Trenton, he moved to Ewing Township in 1959. He attended Mott School, St. John's School (now named Sacred Heart) and graduated from Trenton Catholic Boys High School in 1941. He attended Trenton State Teachers College (where he earned the nickname "Ox") until he enlisted in the Marine Corps at the Customs House in Philadelphia. He served with the 1st Marine Division at the end of Guadalcanal, with the 2nd Marine Division at Tarawa and with the 3rd Marine Division at Guam, Saipan and Tinian in the Pacific Theatre. General Betor was then transferred aboard the USS Essex, the queen of the World War II aircraft carriers, and while aboard, participated in all of the naval battles of the Pacific Theatre, including Leyte Gulf, Philippine Liberation, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and was poised for the invasion of the Japanese homeland when the atomic bombs were dropped and the Japanese surrendered. General Betor had held every military rank from private to gunnery sergeant and from 2nd lieutenant to major general. In 1949, after receiving his master of science degree from Rutgers, General Betor joined the New Jersey National Guard. He served in command assignments, i.e., battery commander, plans and training officer, battalion executive officer, battalion commander, 50th Armored Division Artillery commander, assistant 50th Armored Division commander, and, in October of 1978, he was appointed commanding general of the 50th Armored Division, one of the two in the entire country, and was elevated to the rank of major general of the line, which is the highest rank that any member of the Reserve Forces can attain. General Betor was a graduate of the Army Officers Basic Artillery School and the Advanced Artillery School at Fort Sill, OK; a graduate of the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS, and the Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, PA. General Betor's military awards consist of The Presidential Unit Citation with Star (Navy & Marine Corps), Naval Unit Citation with Star, Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation, American Campaign Metal with Service Clamp, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 8 Stars and Arrowhead, National Defense Service Medal, Army Occupation Medal (Japan), World War II Victory Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal - 33 years, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, Korean Service Medal, New Jersey Medal of Merit, New Jersey Medal of Honor, Meritorious Service Medal and the Legion of Merit. General Betor served as chairman of the Fort Dix Retiree Council, vice president of the Ewing Township Patriotic Committee, secretary-treasurer of the Ewing Township Fraternal Order of Police Lodge Number 83, and numerous other organizations. In May 2001, the Ewing Township Veterans Memorial Park was rededicated by Mayor Al Bridges and the entire township council as the Major General George J. Betor Veterans Memorial Park. General Betor was an educator in civilian life, serving as a coach and teacher, an elementary and secondary principal and superintendent of schools in Beverly, Monroe Township - Middlesex County, and Woodbridge, NJ. Son of the late Rose Thomas Betor and Tufik J. Betor and brother of the late Marie Betor Angelini, he is survived by his wife of 56 years, Ernestine A. Harbourt Betor, his inspiration. General Betor is also survived by his children, Kathie Betor (Ian Gregory) of Beverly Hills, CA, Jan Rizzo (Jeff Rizzo) of Harding Township, NJ, George Betor (Cathy Betor) and three grandsons, Tyler, Cody and Travis of Norwalk, CA, as well as Annemarie DeAngelo and Caitlin and Brenna Grant of Ewing. General Betor is also survived by his brother-in-law, Tony (Chick) Angelini of Ewing, cousins, Dolores and Joe Higham of Hamilton Township, Sue Dize of Trenton and Rita and Antoune Bechara of Mansfield Township, sister-in-law Joyce Harbourt of Hopewell, brother-in-law Stanley (Buddy) Harbourt and sister-in-law, Hilda, and nieces and nephews Harry, Carla, Nina and William Harbourt, JT Harbourt, Suzy and Beau Gnann and M. Stanley Harbourt, Sondra and Heather Harbourt. General Betor is also survived by his caretaker, Dennis Forson. Calling hours will be Monday afternoon from 4 to 8 p.m. and Tuesday morning from 8:45 to 9:45 a.m. at the Hartmann Memorial Home, located at 2830 Nottingham Way, Hamilton Township, NJ (Hhartmemhome@aol.com). A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. in The Sacred Heart Church, located at 343 S. Broad St., Trenton, NJ. Entombment will be in the Mausoleum at Ewing Church Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Church of the Sacred Heart in Trenton, NJ, or to The Sunshine Foundation.