GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany -- Installation Management Command recognized a member of its workforce here Sept. 15 for seven decades of service.
Col. James Love, chief of staff for IMCOM's G-9 directorate, presented retired 1st Sgt. Paulino Miguel with a 70-year service award at the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort before family, friends and co-workers.
Asked about the best memory of his long military and civilian career, Miguel said: "Working for Gen. (Douglas) McArthur. I was his personal aide when he was in Japan, driving him around and taking care of his family. When he made his invasion at Inchon, I was there."
Miguel, a native of Hawaii and nicknamed Pineapple, joined the Army in February 1945. Initially assigned to his home state for five years, he transferred in 1950 to Camp Stoneman, California, and then saw duty in Japan and South Korea in 1953 serving as MacArthur's enlisted aide.
He transferred to Frankfurt, Germany, in 1957, and in 1965 returned to South Korea for 13 months. Afterward, he returned to Germany, later deploying for the first time to South Vietnam and again in 1971.
Eventually returning to Frankfurt, he retired there as a first sergeant after nearly 30 years of being a Soldier and earning the Bronze Star Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
Miguel remained in Germany after hanging up his uniform. He moved to Garmisch-Partenkirchen to work at the Armed Forces Recreation Center, beginning a 40-year career as a federal civilian.
In 1977, he became a courier for the AFRC. Ten years later, he elevated to supervisory courier for the Garmisch, Chiemsee and Berchtesgaden recreation areas.
Now 90, Miguel retired as a regular employee in 2010, but continues in a flex position as a courier with the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort.
"It's great having him on staff," said Clesson Allman, general manager of ELR. "The young kids love him. When my own kids visited a couple months ago, they told me 'Gee, we just met the coolest guy'; they were talking about Pineapple."
"I'm lucky to do what I do at my age," Allman added. "I'll be lucky to be around when I reach his age. He's an institution."
After recognizing Miguel, Love noted he had presented many federal service awards, "but I've never given one for 70 years. I didn't know if we even had one."
Love called Miguel "aspirational," adding that "he's the type of guy that someone can look at and say, 'hey, I can serve my country for 70 years, too.' He's a great example of Army values."
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