A Soldier’s Second Mission: From working with Gen. Colin Powell to preserving Bell County history

Killeen, Texas (KWTX) - For more than two decades, Keith George served his country in the United States Army. Now, the retired soldier has taken on a different mission: preserving the history of the community he calls home.

This Veterans Day, George is reflecting on his 22 years of military service, the unforgettable people he met along the way and how his passion for history has given him a new purpose in retirement.

George’s military career took him across the country and overseas, including assignments in New York, Germany and Fort McClellan, Alabama, where he worked as a military working dog handler.

He eventually served at Fort Hood, but one of the most memorable chapters of his military career unfolded inside the Pentagon.

An unforgettable assignment with Gen. Colin Powell

While serving as a military police officer at the Pentagon, George had the opportunity to work for Gen. Colin Powell, who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

George remembers an unexpected encounter with Powell just three days into his assignment.

He was looking out a window when he suddenly heard someone behind him.

“Great view, isn’t it?” George recalled Powell saying.

When he turned around, he found himself face to face with one of the most powerful military leaders in the country.

“My third day in, I’m face to face with the leader of the whole military,” George recalled.

What began as an intimidating encounter eventually developed into a meaningful professional relationship.

George discovered that he and Powell shared something in common: a love of history.

“He would pose to me a Black history question, or he would pose to me a military question,” George said. “He says, I expect that answer on my desk in three hours.”

Those exchanges became some of George’s most treasured memories of his military career.

But it wasn’t Powell’s military rank or influence that left the greatest impression. It was his character.

“He really was one of the kindest,” George said. “It was a highlight of my life, not just working for him, but actually having those private, personal conversations with a man who cared. He cared from the soul, and it was just amazing. It was by far the greatest time of my career.”

George still has a photograph of himself shaking hands with Powell, a reminder of a relationship that helped shape his life.

From military service to preserving Bell County history

After retiring from the Army, George found a new way to serve.

Today, he spends much of his time researching Bell County’s past, cleaning neglected cemeteries, helping preserve historical markers and sharing stories about the people and places that shaped Central Texas.

His interest in historical research began long before he focused on Bell County.

“I was doing a lot of that out of state. I was doing it in Kansas. I was doing it in Nebraska,” George said.

Eventually, a story about the killing of nine prisoners in Bell County caught his attention.

That discovery sparked a deeper interest in local history.

“I happened across something here. Actually, it was the original massacre of the nine prisoners out of Bell County,” George recalled. “And then I wound up getting more and more.”

What began as curiosity grew into a passion for uncovering and preserving stories that might otherwise be forgotten.

From historic churches and landmarks to old cemeteries and historical markers, George has made it his mission to help keep Bell County’s history alive.

His work also helps connect today’s residents with generations of people who came before them.

For George, preserving history is about more than remembering dates and events. It’s about making sure the stories of the past are not lost to time.

A veteran’s second mission

Although his military career is behind him, George believes the opportunities that come after service can be just as meaningful.

“That’s the blessing of being a veteran,” George said. “Once you’ve served your country, you can go out and do really whatever you want to do. And so that’s one of the blessings.”

This Veterans Day, George’s story is a reminder that serving one’s country can take many forms.

For 22 years, he helped protect his country.

Today, he’s helping protect its history.

And through his work across Bell County, this retired soldier is making sure the stories of yesterday remain alive for generations to come.