George Mendes

The Academy was a tough place to be. Mr Mendes' friendliness and bottomless font of good cheer never failed to bring a smile to my face on even the worst days in the middle of the Dark Ages. God bless this great man and his loved ones. We loved him too.

All these years have passed...watching the fires in Colorado Springs on tv now made me think of George. We were a young Army couple in Colorado Springs in 1985 and rented 1/2 the house from George. What a wonderful man-like having a family member close by. Such a GREAT MAN...

It is with great sadness that I read the words that George Mendes has passed on. Some of my fondest academy memories are from hanging out with George after lunch with some friends as an upperclassmen. But my memories of George as a friend to every freshmen who ever squared a corner on the terrazzo make George special. The outpouring of love for George is evident on these web pages. He was the rarest of individuals that managed to touch the hearts of every person that he met. ...

I remember the dubious experiment with mass-produced, over-easy fried eggs. And the long anticipated announcement from the Staff Tower that, “The Egg Carts Are Ready!” There was George Mendes pushing the egg cart and shaking his head; smiling. It must have taken the kitchen hours to fry up all those eggs. As cadets we got the sense that nothing upsets Mr. Mendes…nothing. Fads at USAFA would come and go, but real fixtures like Mr. Mendes remain steadfast. I took great comfort in his...

Mr. Mendes was more than a hero to me. He was a patriot. For 4 years of my life I saw him nearly everyday demonstrate his love for America by teaching young cadets how to serve his country. Whether in combat or at USAFA, Mr. Mendes was always there for his brothers-in-arms. God bless him and his country.

Today I found out I lost a good friend, I wish I had known sooner. As a waiter at Mitchell Hall, I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting George. I found George to be so fascinating. That big smile, the way he carried himself. You could see the admiration in the eyes of the young doolies.

As I moved on frequently i would run into George and he would always greet with a hug and a big smile and immediately wanted to know how my family is doing. He had the most beautiful smile...

A great man loved by all who had the privilege of meeting him. He was a positive person who had a positive effect on all.

Still can't have a discussion with any friends from The Zoo without a mention of "Tremendez Mendes". A great man, warrior and philosopher...May there always be water in Mitchell Hall.

"Mr. Mendes" is an icon, not to be soon forgotten! Thank you for your example!