Heroes Among Us: Lt Col. Michael Geohagan

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - It’s time again to thank a military hero in South Georgia who serves their country selflessly.

As Lieutenant Colonel Michael Geohagan of Ashburn tells WALB, he was drafted three different times until he finally decided it was his time to serve.

That hesitancy later transformed into a 25-year Army career and two tours in Vietnam.

“They said man, you’re too old for Airborne school, we’ll send you to another. I said no I got people. What kind of commander would I be that waved bye-bye to my people on the ramp? So they agreed to send me,” Geohagan said.

To Korea, that is, at 40 years old, after TWO Cobra Combat Tours in Vietnam.

“He says I know how it is. It’s pride. But I’ll arrange to send a messenger out on your first day, tell them you have an urgent car. You come back and we’ll send you out. I said no you won’t. He says well, it’s going to hurt you. I said I’m in. So, I did well,” he said.

As a mentor, community leader, and veteran, Michael Geoghagan always gives 100%.

That mindset all stems from his grandfather, who had a farm right up the road from his current house in Ashburn. His family has been in the area since 1888.

“My grandfather had two tenets. You always do the absolute best you can. You always keep your word no matter how hard it hurts. And you’re always kind to other people, so I live with that,” Geohagan said.

And that kindness extends to his fellow veterans, who he loves just as much as family.

Geohagan says he joined the American Legion to help others but that it’s actually helped him.

“The reason for the existence American Legion at least in Ashburn, it was 448 by my daddy after World War II. Well, he was one of them. But that’s what we do now. We only have 50 members but we also have another 100 on our roles called the buddy check. We call and check to make sure they’re alright. It makes a difference. It really does,” he said.

He wants those struggling to know:

“There’s always someone that cares. You just got to find them. There are people everywhere. A lot of people care. But they don’t know how to care. The legion teaches them how. Slid me through life, that thought, there’s always somebody. And I was always that somebody to somebody. So if you’re going to give, you’ll receive. And it’s kept me alive quite frankly. If it hadn’t been for friends like that,” Geohagan said.

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