In Memory

[Gray Ghost]

I have not been on the Lounge for awhile now and this is the first chance that I have had to post. This has been due to my father's illness and also getting married. It is with sad heart that I have to inform you of the passing of my Father, Asa McDonald Russ, Jr of Rocky Mount, NC. He passed on 20 July 2006. He has gone home and has reported for duty to the Lord. My Father was a member of HQ Squadron, XIII Fighter Command, 13th Air Force during WWII. He served at New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, New Guinea, and the Philippines. He will be missed but not forgotten.

Eric L. Russ, Proud Son

 

[Gray Ghost]

13th Air Force Veterans Association Reunion

Will be leaving for Dayton, OH today for the 13th Air Force Reunion. On Friday, we will be dedicating the 13th "Jungle" Air Force Memorial at the Air Force Museum. My Mother, Wife and myself will be presenting a check in memory of my Father to the 13th Air Force Vets. Looking forward to seeing everyone in the 13th again. Just don't seem right for my father not to be there.

Gray Ghost

 

[Spitfire]

My sincer condolencies

Eric
My thoughts goes to you and your family.

 

[scotrace]

In Sympathy

Please accept my sympathy on the loss of your beloved father. What proud memories you must have of a veteran of such distinguished service.

 

[Hondo]

Forever

My thoughts and sympathy, your Dad and others forever live on, best regards.

 

[Johnnysan]

Eric,

My condolences on the loss of your father. Be well.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Eric,
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Daisy

 

[jamespowers]

You and your family have my sympathy. Losing a father at no matter what age is a blow because you remember them being nearly indestructible when you were younger, picking you up like a piece of paper, and someone you could go to for advice. You lose a confidant and one of the greatest backers you will ever have. You still have the indelible memories which will live on forever and that is some consolation. I empathize completely.

Regards,

J

 

[Harp]

In Sympathy

Eric, my condolences for your loss.

 

[Big Man]

Please accept my condolences on the loss of your father.

 

[Septimus]

As we say in France,"toutes mes condol?©ances".Best regards .

 

[BigSleep]

My condolences. You're in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[Willi_Goat]

God be with you and your family.

As Base Honor Guard NCOIC, I hope your father was given the Military Honors he so rightly deserved.

 

[MelissaAnne]

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss.

 

[Gray Ghost]

Thank You

Thanks to all of you for your condolences. It means a lot to me to know that I have so many friends. I attended his WWII Reunion in Dayton this past weekend and dedicated the 13th Air Force Memorial at the Air Force Museum. It was a great service. The 13th Air Force Veterans Association had made me their membership manager last year and now has asked me to be their Chaplain. It is a great honor and I accepted. They also gave me an Appreciation Award for keeping up their history and finding 13th AF Vets who are not members and inviting them to join. I took my Mother and my new Wife. They had a very nice time. Everyone was so good to my Mother and myself and has adopted my Wife as one of them.

My Father was given a very nice Military Internment. The US Air Force did him very well. The young men and women of the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Honor Guard should be real proud of their precision. We sure are proud of them.

Thanks Again,
Eric "Gray Ghost" Russ, Very Proud Son!

 

[mikepara]

Last Post...

GG, Another sad posting. The WWII Vets are getting thin on the ground. When I first started going to Parachute Regiment Association there where 100's of them in attendance now just a hand full. You'll miss your Father but he had 60 odd years that some of his buddies didn't. Remember him well.

I'm playing the last post now in Honour of our dead.

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/westfront/ypsalient/meningate/lastpost.mp3

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/westfront/ypsalient/meningate/reveille.mp3

 

[Gray Ghost]

GG, Another sad posting. The WWII Vets are getting thin on the ground. When I first started going to Parachute Regiment Association there where 100's of them in attendance now just a hand full. You'll miss your Father but he had 60 odd years that some of his buddies didn't. Remember him well.

I'm playing the last post now in Honour of our dead.

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/westfront/ypsalient/meningate/lastpost.mp3

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/westfront/ypsalient/meningate/reveille.mp3

We had 60 at the last reunion. That is a makeup of several different squadrons from the 13th. From one squadron, 42nd Bomb Group (M) that flew B-25's, there were only 3 that showed. Several more are still alive, but are just unable to attend due to health. No one in my Father's squadron was able to make it. The ones that I am real close to, one has cancer of the spine and another has a syndrome of somekind that makes you paralyzed. Good news is, that he has started moving his fingers and feet. Hope to have a full recovery. We just have to keep their memories alive. I am in the process now of starting a group of offspring of the 13th Air Force. It will be made up of kids and grandkids of the vets. We will be there to assist the vets and also keep their history and memories alive after they have gone.

GG