Posted on 07/29/2020 11:14:41 AM PDT by Borges
Col. Steve dePyssler was a U.S. Air Force veteran who was the only known American to have served in four wars.
38 years of active duty Col. dePyssler began his military career serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. He later transferred to the U.S. Air Force and went on to serve in the Korean War, the French Indochina War, and the Vietnam War, as well as at the Bay of Pigs Invasion. He rose from private to colonel over 38 years of active duty. After his retirement, dePyssler worked in the Retirees Office at Louisiana’s Barksdale Air Force Base for 40 years and was the office’s director for more than 30 of those years. Saying his goal was to help at least one person each day, dePyssler helped veterans get their VA benefits, as well as assisting widows of veterans. He continued working all his life, coming to the base to help veterans even after his 100th birthday in 2019.
dePyssler on his long military service “When I tell people I’ve held 20 different ranks, they always say that there isn’t 20 different ranks. But in World War II they had six grades that are no longer there and I held three of them.” —as quoted by Barksdale Air Force Base
God Bless and RIP!
A great man and Patriot. RIP
Commodore was a wartime rank in the navy.
A great achievement, well done for him. But, off the top of my head:
Douglas A. MacArthur
Philippine Insurrection
Vera Cruz Expedition
World War I
World War II
Korea
Wow.
good point
it might be the first two are not technically considered ‘wars’
Lawton, and others sacrificed their years as well, for the country.
He died of COVID at 101? Yeah right!
Several lifetimes ago I was stationed at Barksdale AFB in the early 70s. IIRC, DePyssler was either the base commander or the 2nd Bomb Wing Commander.
Trivia! The last Civil War veteran died in 1956. I believe he didn’t see combat, just drum sticks.
RIP.
A military ‘Forest Gump’ !!!!
Douglas A. MacArthur
China Invasion ... Oh never mind
Nice post. Not many share the distinction.
My father was an Infantryman in WWII, Korea, and Viet Nam. He had a CIB (Combat Infantrymans Badge) with 2 Stars before retiring as a Col.
This article reminds me that “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away!”
The United States issued campaign medals for both, though I agree, the Vera Cruz expedition saw probably less combat than the last two months in Portland.
The U.S. never issued medals for Indo China or Cuba, but I think that years after the event, those in the invasion force in Cuba who became Americans were awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, all on the Q.T. if memory serves.
I’ve never seen the “Bay of Pigs Invasion” on the list of American Wars before. I know the US Army doesn’t list it as a war or campaign.
Ed
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