U.S. Marine Corps Col. Kenneth L. Reusser, R.I.P.
Ugh. I am so maddeningly sick of the never-ending Michael Jackson circus, sucking up all the MSM oxygen and drawing out all the race hustlers and cable TV rats. Al Sharpton. Jesse Jackson. Celebrity lawyers. Sewage on parade.
Here’s a man whose legacy and name you should tell your children about instead: U.S. Marine Corps Col. Kenneth L. Reusser. R.I.P. Via the Portland Oregonian:
They came by ones and twos Friday, quietly slipping into the pews at New Hope Community Church. They smiled at the words honoring a man whose faith made him an inspiration and whose exploits in three wars made him a hero.
And when the last mournful drone of the bagpipes faded, they said goodbye to Col. Kenneth L. Reusser of Milwaukie, the most decorated U.S. Marine Corps aviator in history.
“He was the finest gentleman I’ve ever met,” said Harley Wedel of Fairview, a fellow Korean War veteran. “I’m really going to miss him.”
Reusser flew an amazing 253 combat missions in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He was shot down in all three wars — five times in all. He earned two Navy Crosses, four Purple Hearts and two Legions of Merit among his 59 medals.
In 1945, while based in Okinawa, he stripped down his F4U-4 Corsair fighter and intercepted a Japanese observation plane at an altitude much higher than usual. When his guns froze, he flew his fighter into the observation plane, hacking off its tail with his propeller.
In 1950, while serving in the storied “Black Sheep Squadron,” he led an attack on a North Korean tank-repair facility at Inchon, then destroyed an oil tanker — almost blowing himself out of the sky in the process.
During the Vietnam War, Reusser flew helicopters. He was leading a Marine Air Group in a rescue mission, when his own “Huey” was shot down. He needed skin grafts over 35 percent of his badly burned body.
Reusser was born Jan. 27, 1920, the son of a Cloverdale minister. While still a teenager, he became a committed Christian, which remained a big part of his life.
Reusser lived a “Tom Sawyer-ish” existence, Wedel said, jumping off a barn roof to test a parachute, racing motorcycles to help pay for college and earning a pilot’s license before WWII broke out.
After retiring from the Marine Corps, he worked for Lockheed Aircraft and the Piasecki Helicopter Corp.
In recent years, he remained active in veterans groups.
***
Gold Star Mother Debbie Lee asks Americans to check their priorities.
See what others have said
Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.
Trackbacks
- Kenneth L. Reusser RIP – a name you wouldn’t hear about from the MSM with all the Jacko crap | Fire Andrea Mitchell!
- Sierra Faith
- Col. Kenneth L. Reusser, USMC (Ret.) « HOWDY!
- Thank You Col. Reusser: Most Decorated Marine Aviator in History Dies: Fought in WWII, Korea, Vietnam…
- Heroes, Hoaxes and a Wacky Week in America « DirtyRottenScoundrels
- This ain’t Hell, but you can see it from here » Blog Archive » Col. Kenneth L. Reusser passes
- Michelle Malkin Outpouring of support for Dallas vet whose flags were torched… « -THE "G" BLOGS ~ Gunny G Online -
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Power Line
» More From the East Anglia Archives
Doug Ross @ Journal
» ACORN pwnage part II: Breitbart's BigGovt Lowers the BoomBig Government
» BREAKING: San Diego ACORN Document Dump ScandalVillainous Company
» Amateur Hour in the Oval Office Continues....Green Room
» Times Slimes Obamic ClimesLegal Insurrection
» Nation Mag Outs Secret U.S. Anti-Terror Program
One hell of a patriot. RIP Colonel.
Wow. Just wow.
RIP Colonel. Thanks for everything you’ve done for all of us.
Now there’s a man who deserves a moment of silence in Congress.
Colonel Reusser, Thank you for your service to your country. Now may you find your rest in the arms of God.
Where did they find a coffin big enough to fit those cojones in?
RIP Colonel, Semper Fi.
Colonel Reusser was clearly one of the rough men who allowed the rest of us to sleep peacefully mentioned by George Orwell.
A heartfelt thanks for your service, Colonel, and now RIP.
Back then, men were men. None of this metrosexual crap. And we didn’t have to ask permission before killing the enemy.
Semper Fi, my brother, semper fi. I will never forget so you just rest in peace. We’ll take the next watch and we’ll see you again on the other side. God bless your family and friends and a heart felt “thank you” to you. God’s speed Marine.
My thoughts exactly. That’s a rare breed there.
I don’t know why, but stories like that always make me think of how Hollywood was so much better back then. Reminds me of Eddie Arnold and Jimmy Stewart.
We are currently in a cultural battle between the likes of Col. Reusser at one end of the spectrum, and vermin like most of our political and entertainment elites at the other end. God help us so that true heroes in this country ultimately reign. RIP Col. Reusser, job well done.
He has “slipped his earthly bounds and is touching the face of God.”
RIP, Marine.
Terrific story, and if he was anything like my grandfather is today, I bet he never talked about any of it without being seriously prompted by a loved one.
A god among men.
RIP Sir.
Condolences coming from the whitehouse in 3…2…1…
3…2…1…
3…2…1…
3…2…1…
3…2…1…
Oh forget it.
I salute you sir. Semper Fi
http://www.daylife.com/photo/01AefpK1CLaoL
Semper Fi, Sir.
Thank you for your devote service to our great nation.
RIP Colonel Reusser.
Rest with God, Colonel. Other brave warriors have taken your watch.
Thank you for your honorable service to our country.
God bless America.
Men like Colonel Reusser make me proud to be an American.
I thank you sir, a true American hero.
R.I.P. Colonel
On June 29th, 2009 at 11:40 pm, regularguy said:
We are currently in a cultural battle between the likes of Col. Reusser at one end of the spectrum, and vermin like most of our political and entertainment elites at the other end. God help us so that true heroes in this country ultimately reign. RIP Col. Reusser, job well done.
Well said, sir … well said. This was a man. This was a HERO. This was a man to be emulated – a real man, a real American.
God bless and keep you, Colonel. Semper Fidelis, sir!
I am honored to have read your story. Thanks for your service and life.
The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn His face toward you
and give you peace.
Thanks for your outstanding service to the nation Colonel Reusser, RIP.
MM: Thanks for posting this tribute to a great man and relentless warrior.
…It’s one of the rare few days that I can proudly say I am an Oregonian.
God Bless you, Jarhead.
This bubblehead and his family will light a candle for you on Sunday.
Praising a child molester vice the honorable warrior? I have a theory myself about our culture:
“The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9
“For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” Romans 1:25
Most Soldiers knew from the start that the euphoria of 9/11 would wear off sooner rather than later. In that time, most never did learn the meaning of “we support the troops“. I thank God that some never forgot what it meant. Thank you, Mrs. Malkin, for your support.
Our country is still here because of men like Col. Reusser and many others like him who go unnamed.
Ed McMahon and Ted Williams were also a Marine pilots. Yet, the mainstream media tries to make heros of Michael Jackson and Heath Ledger. Talent is much more prevalent than guts and the ablilty to believe in something bigger then yourself and lay your life on the line to preserve it.
Pat Tillman is the only current celebrity in the recent past who put it on the line when the our country was attacked. In Col. Reusser’s day thank God there were many more Col. Reussers and Pat Tillmans than today, when we are stuck with metrosexuals.
Thank you for this post…
I’ve been disgusted by the media fawning over someone who did not live a good life…
You said it much better, with a much better example, than I could.
On June 30th, 2009 at 12:50 am, thefoundingfathers said:
Pat Tillman is the only current celebrity in the recent past who put it on the line when the our country was attacked.
And look where that got him, killed by one of his own men with the military attempting a cover up and lying to his family about what happened.
Times like these I’m glad I don’t have a TV. I get the news I want on the internet and haven’t clicked a Michael Jackson story yet! Blech…
This is the kind of story I like. What an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G man!! He is a Hero like few others.
R.I.P Col. Kenneth L. Reusser.
In the words of the Marine hymn, Colonel Reusser now guards heavens streets for us. Just as he did here on earth. Rest in Peace, MARINE.
“Another marine reporting, sir. I’ve served my time in hell”. RIP Colonel. It’s people like you that I feel especially sad to see pass away. Such people as you are very special. Another soldier that died recently was Shifty Powers. You may remember him from Band of Brothers.
Seems to be at least 1 in every crowd that finds it necessary to pi$$ all over the memory of a fallen hero. Classy.
RIP Colonel Reusser and Pat Tillman. Both men possess the the qualities that the vast majority of us don’t even dream of.
Amen.
RIP, Sir. Thank you for all that you did for this country, and for what you represented – what’s best about America. May God rest your soul, as you knew Jesus as your Savior on this earth.
Col. Reusser was the most decorated Marine aviator in American history.
RIP, sir, and thank you for your service in defense of our country.
Thanks for focusing on real heroes.
Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord,
And let perpetual Light shine upon him.
May his soul
And all the souls of the faithful departed
Through the mercy of God
Rest in peace.
Amen.
R.I.P. Colonel Reusser
Unfortunately right now, thoroughly and sickeningly clogging up the “news” media (and shamefully Fox too), is a prime example of this country’s truly warped ideal of what “greatness” is which sadly our young people are learning.
I wonder how much media time Rush and Co.will get.
James Greenidge
Queens NY
I think every time the MSM goes on with nutso coverage of the a celeb death, rehab stay or legal problem we should declare a “Heroes Day” (or a “Heroes Marathon” for the duration) to remember those most worth remembering.
I’m (thankfully) not as professionally connected with the media as are you, Michelle, so I can just turn it all off for as long as I wish. The sun still rises and sets, and I have even more time to ponder the real heroes who, as Debbie Lee so correctly notes, “gave up their tomorrows so that you and I could have a today.”
Have you ever considered serving?
Didn’t think so, punk.
Considering serving isn’t enough for that pos-if physically qualified and serving is alot better.
Actions and not words speak volumes about a man’s character.
R.I.P. Col Kenneth L. Reusser
GSP
Thanks Michelle for reminding us all that there are true heros still out there.
Rest In Peace Colonel! Thank You Sir!
Thanks graysonret for recommending I read “The Quiet Hero”. Mr. Whalen also passed away this month. I wouldn’t have know about it had I not been perusing the Obits that day. His story is very compelling as well.
I used to put bombs and missiles on the planes that these Marine pilots flew. For all the jokes we had about the ego of fighter pilots (e.g., How do you know one is at the party? He’ll tell you!), these men had icewater in their veins, titanium in their nerves, and the entire Library of Congress in their brains.
Couple that with their desire to win at all necessary cost, and you have the finest pilots the world has ever known.
Atten-HUT!
Hand Salute!
[taps]
Ready-TWO!
And like true heroes, he wasn’t putting himself in front of a camera. He did his duty and that was that. There are many more like that. That’s why we use the term unsung hero.
Marine! Your duty here is done! Report to your new duty station in Heaven! Chesty Puller and Joe Foss are waiting for you!
Rest in Peace.
Cheers to that!
Couldn’t have said it better myself!
RIP Col. Reusser. Thank you for your service to our country.
We say Goodbye and thanks to Colonel Reusser and just ignore the naysayers; Michael Jackson? Sorry his passed on you young but I do not bother watching it and am ticked at FNC-the race hustlers are just that-hustlers.
Thankfully we always have those such as the Colonel, Pat Tillman and MILLIONS of others-my father- who step up and defend this country; those yapping little wimps who mock are best ignored.
Wow! A real man. A man’s man. Hero and a quiet Christian to boot. I wish I was there to gaze and reflect upon this wonderful embodiment of personhood. Most of us cannot comprehend the sacrifices and dangers he willingly put himself through. lgm, RSS, this is what we’re talking about. While you… nevermind, I’m not going there, not the time or place for petty bs.
U.S. Marine Corps Col. Kenneth L. Reusser, R.I.P. indeed. I wish I knew you.
Very well done soldier and human being…would be a huge understatement. I cannot imagine what my life would have been like without men and women like you.
THANK YOU SIR!!!
Truer.words.never. said.
RIP Colonel. You are done with this wicked world. My our Lord have mercy on your soul and my you rest where all sighing and mourning have fled away.
I’m not quite sure what your point is here. Are you saying that no one should serve, and we should just disband the military and trust that our enemies will leave us alone?
Or are you saying that the dishonorable acts of some people negate the selfless heroism of others?
Or is it that you actually don’t have a point? Is it that you’re just a disrespectful little troll, living free because of the work done by men whose latrines you are unfit to scrub?
I’m thinking it’s option 3, but I could be wrong.
What can you say about a man like this. Rest in peace Sir.
And this is why they call them the “Greatest Generation”.
RIP.
Where’s the movie about HIS life?!
Hellooo? Hollywood? Mel Gibson?!
Thank you for your service and sacrifice, sir. A TRUE hero.
RIP Col. Kenneth L. Reusser, we never met, but one day we all will at the same rally point.
Slightly OT: You all should watch “Taking Chance” with Kevin Bacon playing a Marine LtCol performing escort duty for a fallen Marine back to his hometown. Have tissues nearby. Lots of them.
Does that in any way subtract from the nobility of his actions? Does anyone consider him any less of a patriot because of it?
Your mockery of his death says more about you than it does about him.
‘From the halls of Montezuma
to the shores of Tripoli…’
USMC–hoorah.
I echo the sentiments stated above … minus what les spewed.
R.I.P. to mighty fine airman and hero.
***
The U.S. Marines are the best military persons there ever were.
***
This ex Army draftee worked with some of them in the military. Some of my engineering career co-workers were retired Marines. And we worked with the Marines on military system interoperability tests.
***
They always impressed me with their ability to “think outside of the box” and to come up with a RIGHT NOW workable solution to tough problems.
***
Rest in Peace, Marine. Thank you for your service defending this country.
***
John Bibb
***
Reminds me of a quote from Harrison Ford in the movie K 19, The Widow Maker, “What good are honors from such men, anyway!”
On another forum I got into it with a poster who said there isn’t any honor in dying. That’s it. He didn’t specify whether that meant dying for one’s country or in the line of duty. We had an interesting exchange. My point is these people don’t have a clue as to what it means to sacrifice and lay it all on the line. I don’t have any firsthand experience either but I sure as heck am not knocking down those who do. And I most certainly wouldn’t spew that garbage on thread dedicated to one of the best who has every done it.
That’s just me.
How have you been, tre?
I did see the report of his death on the Fox crawler yesterday.
My father and father-in-law were career Army in the 40’s-50’s-60’s. Couldn’t get them to tell any stories of their combat days. That generation usually didn’t. They did their job and came home. End of story.
Col. Kenneth L. Reusser now joins Chesty Puller on the sweet side of the Pearly Gates.
Chesty
It’s tempting to say that with the passing of men like Col. Reusser, we lose an irreplaceable treasure. That’s partly true: the opportunities to reveal heroism of the kind he possessed may never come again.
I have to remind myself, though, that the Colonel’s spirit isn’t gone, but has been handed down to many among those who wear our nation’s military uniforms today: the highest-quality, most professional force of arms that the world has ever seen.
That they carry on in near-obscurity, in places all over the world that the American people haven’t heard of and can’t find on a map — or where the American media no longer finds it worth covering in the absence of a “Vietnam Redux” narrative — doesn’t diminish the legacy of Colonel Reusser that they keep alive each and every day.
Geez Louise! I am amazed he actually survived the ‘45 observation plane encounter. And my guesstimate puts him at perhaps 40+ during his Nam duty. Thanks for letting me know of him. And he did it all without the need of a sequined glove to identify and draw attention to himself. Just some guy who did what he did and and afterward who I could have passed on the street, never knowing his story. Sounds like a real world John Wayne.
Hey “30 pcs of silver”, interesting exchange you had on another forum.(#54) The world today is full of ‘em. And they are growing in number, or at least in voice volume.
Speaking for sewage everywhere I just want to say our parades are never as stinked up as the parades of those turds.
RIP Col. Kenneth L. Reusser
You sir are a great man.
Thank You, Colonel! Semper Fi!
What about Jesus Christ dying for his sins? Maybe he isn’t a Christian.
I would lay down my life in a New York minute to save my wife and children! God says that’s honorable!
I’ve been fine, 30. I’ve been wondering where you’ve been hiding. You said once you’re going to Lost Wages on vacation. Have you gone yet?
Dang, JohnnyD, I didn’t know that. I have an autographed book, which is prized in my library.
God bless you.
I’ve been lurking … my classes are kicking my butt. I’ve had a couple classes overlap and woo-doggy was that a doozy. Yes, we went to Lost Wages and had a blast. We did indoor skydiving and I didn’t do so well. I tried to fight the wind and it won.