Kenneth Reusser dies at 89; retired Marine colonel flew 253 combat missions in 3 wars

LA TIMES ^ | Tony Perry

[Dubya]

Shot down five times, he received Navy Cross medals during World War II and the Korean War. Injuries suffered in the Vietnam War forced him to retire after 27 years of service.

[Dubya]

Soldier rest, Gently pressed,
To the calm, Mother Earth's
Waiting breast;
Duty done, Like the sun:
Going West.

SEMPER FI MARINE, GOD BLESS YOU

[FlingWingFlyer]

Prayers up for this great American hero.

[LimaLimaMikeFoxtrot]

Rest easy Col Reusser.

Semper Fidelis.

[LimaLimaMikeFoxtrot]

When his guns froze, Reusser used the propellers of his F4U-4Corsair to rip through the Japanese plane's tail section, sending it crashing to the sea.

Ooh-rah.

[NYCON]

RIP Sir,

Semper Fi

[Cheetahcat]

Wow the real deal, RIP Brave American Warrior!

[Last Dakotan]

When his guns froze, Reusser used the propellers of his F4U-4Corsair...

How many propellers does a Corsair have?

[mo]

Egad...what a set of stones some men have...

[Lexinom]

RIP, Soldier. We will do our best to preserve what you fought for.

Semper Fi, Marine.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[DuncanWaring]

“Black Sheep” Ping.

[LimaLimaMikeFoxtrot]

One. I think the author must have meant the four blades of the prop.

[denydenydeny]

How many propellers does a Corsair have?

Japanese planes were generally constructed of mostly wood; a metal propellor blade could slice through a wooden tailfin without fatal damage.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Saturday, July 4, 2009

---

Marine Corps pilot, decorated for heroic efforts in 3 wars, dies in Oregon at 89

Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Marine Corps Capt. Kenneth Reusser and his wingman were flying a mission in the Pacific region during World War II when they came upon a Japanese surveillance plane.

The cold air had frozen the fighters’ guns, so Reusser tipped his F4U-4 Corsair toward the aircraft, allowing his wingman to rake his propeller across the plane’s tail. The move downed the enemy plane and would have been a heroic highlight of any military career. But it was just a start for Reusser.

Known as one of the most decorated Marine Corps aviators ever, he died June 20 of natural causes at age 89 in Oregon.

Reusser was awarded 59 medals during his career, including two Navy Crosses, four Purple Hearts and two Legions of Merit. He retired from the service a colonel, The Associated Press and Oregon media reported.

He was shot down five times during 259 combat missions in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam — at least once in each conflict.

In 1950, Reusser led an attack on a North Korean factory. Despite heavy anti-aircraft fire, he dipped down to window level of the facility and saw that it was being used to repair enemy tanks, according to the citation for his second Navy Cross.

He flew to his aircraft carrier to re-arm with rockets and napalm and then returned to destroy the facility, again braving the anti-aircraft fire.

Reusser’s plane had been damaged and his heavy ordnance was gone, but before returning from the mission, he flew low and pumped his machine guns into a North Korean oil tanker, the citation said.

The tanker exploded, knocking his plane momentarily out of control, but he managed to right it and return to the carrier.

In Vietnam, Reusser flew helicopters and was leading a rescue mission when his Huey was shot down. He was badly wounded and needed skin grafts over 35 percent of his burned body, the AP reported.

Reusser lived in the Portland suburb of Milwaukie. He was born Jan. 27, 1920, the son of a minister, and raced motorcycles to help pay for college and earn a pilot’s license before WWII.

After retiring from the Marine Corps, he worked for Lockheed Aircraft and the Piasecki Helicopter Corp. and was active in veterans groups.

© 2009 Stars and Stripes. All Rights Reserved.

[TomasUSMC]

SEMPER FI

[Plutarch]

There are rules about the mention of F4U Corsairs. Maybe somebody can tell us if this is Marine or Navy.

[TrishaSC]

God Bless and RIP.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Typical sloppy writing by the LA Slimes:

When his guns froze, Reusser used the propellers of his F4U-4Corsair to rip through the Japanese plane's tail section, sending it crashing to the sea.

Incorrect. Reusser was the wingman of the Marine, 1stLt Robert Klingman, who accomplished this task.

VMF-312 Checkerboards

Bob Klingman surveys the damage caused by his "encounter".

On May 10th, one of the most unique fighter interceptions of the war took place. Captain Kenneth Reusser, callsign Ruby 6, was on patrol with 3 other Checkerboarders over the island of Okinawa. The following excerpt is from an article published in the May 1995 edition of Leatherneck. The author is Ray Schanamann, 1st Lt. of VMF-312.

…The pilots started their climb to altitude, prepared for another routine patrol. Instead, they received a transmission from "Handyman", the Air Defense Control Center.

"Ruby 6, this is Handyman, over."
"Handyman, Ruby 6, go ahead."
"Ruby 6, Handyman, We have a bogey approaching on course one eight zero, angels 25 (altitude 25,000 feet). Climb to angels 25, steer 270 buster (full speed), over."
"Handyman, Roger, course 270 angels 25, out."

The flight dropped their belly tanks, test fired their guns, put their props in full low pitch, and firewalled their throttles.

Klingman remembered, "We could see the vapor trails as the bogey made two complete circles over the harbor." The Marines had a good idea about the plane they were pursuing. For several days that week their squadron and others took turns trying to intercept a plane that followed the same flight plan. Intelligence believed the plane was on photo reconnaissance of the ships in the harbor, for use in planning kamikaze raids. The previous intercept attempts failed because the intruder, aware of the chase planes, kept climbing as he headed for home. With his initial altitude advantage he easily outran his pursuers. This time the Marines tried to close while climbing at their best speed. Captain Reusser said, "We were turning inside him to try and join up, but we were so far below him we had little chance of reaching him. I just pulled the nose up and held the trigger down, no aim, no accuracy, just trying to loop it up there. I saw a couple of glints, but I remember I didn't think anything of it at the time. He leveled off and headed back toward Japan."

The division kept climbing and stayed on the bogey's tail even though it didn't seem possible to overhaul him. Captain Jim Cox's plane fell back until he was about a thousand feet below the others-he couldn't coax another knot of speed out of the battle-weary Corsair. Reusser ordered Cox and 1st Lt. Frank Watson to return to orbit over Point Nan while he and Klingman continued the pursuit. Now they were at 38,000 feet, the service ceiling for the Corsair. The bogey was still about a mile ahead, and the chase continued.

Because of the thin air and limited power, maneuvers had to be limited to small, careful changes in direction or altitude; otherwise a stall or spin would result with small chance of recovery. At such an altitude bailing out would have meant freezing to death.

"As we got closer, Ken was firing, and I guess the bogey was firing at us. I had a few small bullet holes in the plane. My plane had no gun heaters and the guns were frozen, but I was pretty eager to get me a Jap plane. My plane was faster because it was a brand new so I went on ahead of Ken at max speed and streamlined as much as I could…"

"…We closed on the bogey until I was 20 or 30 feet behind him-I couldn't get any closer to him due to his prop wash. It held me back and kept me from running into him. I had to slowly climb above the airplane, and then I nosed over and ran into his tail with my prop. I only had enough extra speed to chew off some of his rudder and elevator before being blown away (from Nick's prop wash) Since he was still flying, I climbed above him for a second run. I nosed down and I pulled out too soon and only got some of his rudder and part of the top of the rear canopy. At this time I remember seeing the rear seat gunner frantically looking around and trying to operate his machine gun. I imagine at this altitude he was probably freezing to death. I realized that a third wasn't necessary, but I was even more determined so I climbed above him for my third run and chopped the right side of his elevator, and we both went into a spin. This run did the most damage to my plane, but I recovered after losing only about 1,000 feet. Ken was along side then, and we both observed the enemy plane in a spin with both wings coming off at about 15,000 feet."

Reusser had a bird's-eye view when Klingman first passes were made and related. "The Japanese gunner pounded on his machine gun to free it up, but it was frozen solid and so was mine. When Bob came down on the canopy with his prop, he tore the gun away from the mount and hit the gunner. His plane was full of bullet holes and shrapnel holes from fragments of the Nick."

Klingman had his kill but they were hundreds of miles from base and his plane shook and vibrated with the stick jumping in a large circle. Close to home at about 10,00 feet Bob ran out of fuel but felt he could still reach the strip even though Ken suggested he bail.

Pilots stood quietly at the upwind end of the runway. They watched the Corsair plunge silently in a steep glide: no engine roar, the prop windmilling slowly.

"Don't stretch the glide: don't be short.: they said almost prayerfully.

At the last possible second, Klingman raised the Corsair's nose and the plane slammed into the ground and bounced the few remaining feet onto the airstrip.

Watchers gasped as they saw the planes condition. The tips of all three blades jutted outward with 6 inches missing from each end and the blades pierced by bullets; each wing contained large holes, and pieces of the Nick were in the cowling. After extensive tests and a new propeller, the F4U Corsair Bob Klingman used in the downing of the Japanese Nick was returned to service!

Bob Klingman and Ken Reusser both received the Navy Cross for their actions.

[right way right]

Now THIS is a true loss to our nation.

God Bless him and his long meaningful life.

[BIGLOOK]

Last flight for a Marine Aviator.

Godspeed!