George William ‘Bill’ Harrell, Jr., Col., Retired, United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps died of pneumonia at Hilton Head Hospital on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina on July 25, 2010 at the age of 80. The son of George W. and Lillian Russom Harrell, he is survived by his wife Annelore, nee Stelljes, daughters: Tamela Maxim (Nicholas), Anne Elizabeth Stacks (David), Melanie Graham (Donald), son: Andrew, grandchildren: Claire Pinckney, Matthew and Daniel Stacks, Anders and Anna Catherine Graham, Sydney and Drew Harrell, great grandchildren: Taylor ‘Reece’ Pinckney and River Timmerman. He was pre-deceased by son Jonathan, grandson Adam Pinckney and sisters Lois Rutland and Virginia Bramlitt. After graduating from Savannah High School he participated in the North-South All Star game where he won a football scholarship to the University of Florida and was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. An injury ended his athletic career and he returned home to obtain an AIA degree from Armstrong College of Savannah where he met his future wife Annelore. They married in December 1953. In 1954 he received an ROTC commission as a 2nd Lt. in the US Army Medical Service Corps and a Juris Doctor degree from the Lumpkin School of Law at the University of Georgia where he enjoyed debating in the Demosthenian Society. His first long-term assignment was as Legal Officer of the Landstuhl Army Medical Center before accepting a regular Army commission in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps and duty at WACOM, Kaiserslautern, Germany. This was the beginning of military service that extended from unaccompanied tours in Korea and Vietnam to three tours in Germany, assignments with Civil Affairs, that included joint ventures with the Marines in the Cuban blockade, operations in the deserts of California, setting up programs for Reserve Duty JAG Officers at Fort Gordon, Georgia and years of Staff Judge Advocate duty before joining the newly formed Judiciary in 1968 where he served many years as a General Court Martial Judge. He was a member of the 9th Career Course at the JAG School, University of Virginia, Command and General Staff College, National Judicial College and the Army War College as well as a number of other seminars and courses. His decorations and awards include the Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Army of Occupation Medal (Germany), Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with 60 Device, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Legion of Merit (2nd Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Commendation Medal (1st Oak Leaf Cluster), Meritorious Service Medal (1st Oak Leaf Cluster, Overseas Service Bars with Numeral 1, Bronze Star Medal and Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. He retired from the military in 1983 and entered civilian life, practicing law with Otto Ferrene and later with the Vaux Law Firm until his second retirement. He loved Bluffton and his home on Myrtle Island. He was a competitive man, as most trial attorneys are. He enjoyed a good game of chess with neighbor Walton Harper, a special kind of rummy with long-time friend Everett Perrin, scrabble, backgammon and monopoly with family. He played a wicked game of bridge. Above all, he was a good and honorable man who loved his family and they loved him.
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