US Army General John Shalikashvili (full name John Malkhaz David Shalikashvili) – four-star general in the U.S. Army. Born in Warsaw on 27.06.1936 in the family of Georgian Prince Dimitri Shalikashvili and Countess Maria (Missy) Alexandrovna Ridiger-Beliaeva). At the age of 16 he came to the USA. He studied at Bradley University (Illinois) and earned a degree in mechanical engineering.
In 1959, he graduated from the officer’s school at Fort Sill (Oklahoma) with the rank of junior lieutenant of artillery and served in Alaska. At the rank of major, he was sent to South Vietnam as a military advisor.
In 1971, he earned a master’s degree in international relations from J. Washington University. In 1971, he served in Korea, then in the U.S. Army in the Federal Republic of Germany, in the Pentagon, served as Deputy Chief of Staff.
In 1991, he participated in U.S. operations in the Persian Gulf region (liberation of Kuwait and defeat of the Iraqi army) and led Operation Sanctuary to transport food for Kurdish refugees. Since 1992 he was the commander of NATO forces in Europe, in October 1993 he was appointed Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Army, a position he held until September 1997. He paid official visits to Georgia and was very warmly received by his compatriots.
He was married by his first marriage (St. Louis, Missouri, 04/23/1963) to Gunhilde Bartsch (Mauzelvitz, Germany, 1942 – Kaiserslautern, FRG, 1965), daughter of Karl-Günter Bartsch by marriage to Christina N. After her death he married (Hohenecken, FRG, 27.12.1967) Joan Elizabeth Zimpelman (born in Hillsdale, Oregon, 22.08.1940), daughter of John Joseph Zimpelman from his marriage to Elizabeth Fuhrer.
John M. Shalikashvili died July 23, 2011, at Madigan Military Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord from a stroke.