George Warner was born in November 1929 in Greenwood, Mississippi, where he lived until he was five years old and his family moved to Cleveland, Mississippi. His father operated a wholesale hardware distributorship, and Warner worked part time in that business all during his youth. He also earned pocket money by catching snakes for the science department at Delta State Teachers College [Annotator's Note: now Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi], popping popcorn at a local movie theater and by selling fireworks at Christmas time. On 7 December 1941, Warner was listening to the car radio when he learned of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He didn't know the location of Pearl Harbor and didn't understand the impact the news would have on the country. His small hometown was changed. His uncles went to war, the population experienced rationing, and there was an Italian prison camp just outside of town. The prisoners worked the cotton fields, and many of them exercised the option to become American citizens after the war, creating an Italian community in the area. When Warner reached the age of 16, he began his service in the Home Guard. He remembered traveling by truck to Fort Benning, Georgia for training that included learning how to use an M1 [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber M1 semi-automatic rifle, also known as the M1 Garand]. The Home Guard had uniforms and met regularly at the town armory. They were "on call" for any emergency. Warner said the Guard was brought out at one point when relentless rains were ruining crops near Greenwood [Annotator's Note: Greenwood, Mississippi], and some of the local farmers wanted to blow the damn on the Yazoo River. Warner said the young soldiers were posted on the levee and instructed to use their rifles against any trespassers; luckily no one made an attempt. Warner liked serving in the Home Guard, which became the National Guard after the war.

George Warner was told that blackouts were enforced because there might be enemy airplanes in the vicinity, although he could not imagine why anyone would want to bomb a little place like Cleveland, Mississippi. The town was dark, including its grass airplane runway, and while Warner was taking flying lessons, he knew that if he had to fly after dark, he had to "come in real low" over the town so that when the townsfolk heard a plane, they could get in their cars and drive to the airport to light the runway with their headlights. The town also experienced rationing; people used stamps to buy food. Warner remembered one Thanksgiving when he and his father had gone out early to hunt. At lunchtime, they approached a country store and attempted to buy something to eat. They had no stamps with them, and although the grocer could not sell them regular items, he gave them pigtails, which Warner thought was a pretty poor Thanksgiving lunch. Commenting on the journalism of war correspondent Ernie Pyle, Warner said he enthusiastically sought out Pyle's columns all during his high school days, right up until the time Pyle was killed on Ie Shima. When he learned about the loss of the man he so admired, he sat on the porch and cried. Warner also talked about President Roosevelt [Annotator's Note: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States], saying most of the people of his generation appreciated the man. Warner recalled being summoned to the school auditorium on the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941], to hear him address the nation about the war. Everyone knew Roosevelt was not well, and when he died, Warner said, "It broke out hearts."

George Warner said that while growing up in the war he saw a lot of military personnel come through the town [Annotator's Note: Cleveland, Mississippi] by rail. People of the town would go out to cheer the slow moving trains and hand the soldiers candy, donuts and drinks. It was an event; however, his favorite social occasions, and the same was true for most of the Delta people [Annotator's Note: students at Delta Teachers College; now Delta State University in Cleveland, MIssissippi], were the local dances held at various locations on weekends. Warner also remembered taking a round trip train ride a few times a year to Memphis, Tennessee where they would have a party on the rooftop of the Peabody Hotel. Warner remembered that the feelings of the United States citizens were unified during the World War 2 era. Although he was just coming out of high school, he understood that everybody appreciated the position the country was taking. He remembered the high points of the war, like D-Day [Annotator's Note: Allied invasion of Normandy, France on 6 June 1944] and the victory at Iwo Jima [Annotator's Note: Iwo Jima, Japan], and rejoicing that his kin would be coming home when the war was won.

Asked if he thought there should be institutions such as The National WWII Museum [Annotator's Note: in New Orleans, Louisiana] in the United States, George Warner said he thinks it one of the "most fabulous creations the country has come up with, because it gives people an appreciation of this country during those years." He recommends a visit to his fellow Mississippians whenever he can, and always gets a positive response from those who take his advice about it. He believes young people who visit the museum not only learn about the war, but also about how to be better citizens of the United States. Warner's message to future generations of Americans is that we live in a great country, but we need to keep it great. When he was young, America was at the forefront, and had good relations with other countries. The United States tried to help people, and in his extensive travels, Warner was always welcomed. He feels the country has fallen in worldwide opinion, and we need to get back on better terms. Warner served as a captain and a commander in the Korean War, and when he resigned from active duty, became a lawyer. In a civilian capacity, has served as a district attorney and a judge, and has always appreciated the things that were available to American citizens. But he feels people should not take the country for granted.