George William Mackey was born on June 5, 1924, in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He had two years of high school, was a semiskilled welder in civilian life, and was single without dependents upon enlistment. He enlisted at Fort Hayes, Columbus, Ohio, on March 6, 1943.

George served in Company E, 2nd Ranger Battalion, as a Private First Class during World War II. He was Killed in Action on June 6, 1944, at the age of 20, at Pointe du Hoc, during the American assault on Omaha and Utah beaches in France. PFC Mackey came ashore aboard LCA 861 and scaled the cliffs at Point du Hoc on one rope with three other Rangers. He was killed by small arms fire near the end of a trench as a group of Rangers tried to move inland. PFC Mackey is now buried in the Greenlawn Memorial Park, Akron, Summit County, Ohio, USA.