Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey grew up in Greenwood Lake; his wife in Monroe

Monroe - Like its namesake, our fifth president, James Monroe, the Town of Monroe and the surrounding region have produced a number of famous, courageous Americans. In the 19th century, William H. Seward, Goshen lawyer from the Village of Florida, became Abraham Lincoln’s secretary of state and negotiated the purchase of the vast territory of Alaska. Civil War General Hobart Ward lived and died in the Town of Monroe where he is buried. Much more recently, General David Petraeous from Cornwall-on-Hudson was named the commanding general and originator of the “troop surge” in Iraq. Now, former Greenwood Lake resident Martin Dempsey has just been confirmed by the U.S. Congress for promotion to lieutenant general with assignment to command U.S. Army, Europe. He has also been named the interim commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), becoming Petraeous’ superior after the recent and controversial retirement of former CENTOM Commander, Admiral William J. Fallon. At a recent reception at the White House for Dempsey and his wife, Deanie, President George W. Bush said: “General Dempsey and his family have been very much involved in this war on terror. And we appreciate you, and thank you, and wish you all the best in your next assignment.” Dempsey, born in Bayonne, N.J., in 1952, moved to Greenwood Lake when he was in the seventh-grade. He met Deanie, whose father Tom Sullivan owned the Chevrolet Buick dealership in Monroe, while they attended John S. Burke Catholic High School in Goshen. Cathy Earl, a Monroe Town employee, was a high school friend and classmate of Deanie. She continues to stay-in-touch with her and characterized her husband as being “always a gentleman, a quiet leader and a great guy; always fun.” Dempsey was the first in his family to pursue a military career, an interest held since he was 10 years old. He bypassed a track and Regents scholarship to Manhattan College upon receiving a nomination to West Point. He graduated in 1974. His military assignments have been numerous and far-reaching, including Operation Desert Storm. Both Dempsey and his wife spent 11 years in Germany and two years in Saudi Arabia. She returned to Germany after being evacuated following the bombings that took place in Saudi Arabia in May 2003. Following Saudi Arabia, Dempsey was assigned command of the 1 Armored Division in Iraq for a 14-month deployment; he later returned for an additional two years. The Dempseys have three children; all have served as commissioned officers in the military, with two graduating from West Point. Their son, Christopher, served as a captain in Iraq and will return to West Point as an instructor following graduate school. Their youngest daughter, Caitlin, is presently an engineer officer and was also deployed to Iraq. During an interview this week, Deanie Dempsey said: “We think growing up in Orange County helped shape the people we are today.”