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| John Hunt Truesdale
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| NO. 17809
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Died 28 January 1967 in a bus accident near Reno, Nevada, aged 40 years.
Interment: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.
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MY SON, JOHN TRUESDALE, and his beloved wife,
Glory Dischert Truesdale, were killed in a bus accident with several others on
28 January 1967 while on a skiing holiday. He had returned from duty in Vietnam
in November 1966 and was stationed at Fort Ord, California, at the time of his
death.
A memorial service was held at Fort Ord and at Arlington National
Cemetery where he and his wife were interred.
No greater tribute could be paid to John's memory than the thoughts
expressed by his friend and fellow officer, Lieutenant Colonel Rex Beasley, in
the words quoted below.
"John was thoroughly devoted to the highest ideals of his profession.
Infantryman, paratrooper, special forces officer; these military speciaties
which he held place him in the elite vanguard of those who serve in the defense
of our country. His service in Vietnam in 1966 with the Special Forces (Green
Beret) included duty in such now famous outposts as Khe Sanh and An Khe, for
which service in action he received the Bronze Star Medal."
John's compassionate and unselfish interest in his fellow man constituted
the primary motivating element in his life. Unbounded enthusiasm, a wonderful zestiness and
spontaneity, charged the atmosphere of John's activities both at work and at
play. John's versatility and natural leadership made him welcome in any endeavor.
Whether on the drill field or the tennis court, his desire to express
perfection gained and merited our admiration.
Another fundamental and significant aspect of John's experience was his
devotion to his religion. A practicing Christian Scientist, he served his
church wherever he was assigned. Appointed by The First Church of Christ,
Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, to serve as a Christian Science
Representative in the Armed Services, John gave liberally of his off-‑duty
hours in this important work. Counseling servicemen of his faith, assisting
with denominational services where these were authorized, and giving prayerful
assistance to those requesting it, John carried the banner of our Christian
ethic no less effectively than he carried the shield and weapons of our
country's defense. During a period of two years in Seoul, Korea, he made a
significant contribution to the establishment and growth of a new church in
that city, thus expanding the availability of Christianity in that important
nation.
John's exuberance and conscious optimism are a continuing inspiration to
those who knew him and served with him. His faith that right will prevail, his
devotion to country and mankind, and his example of joyful perseverance are
permanent contributions to the legacy of "The Long Gray Line."
John was one of those rare persons whose warmth, enthusiasm, and genuine
interest in all good things made him a wonderful guy just to have around. Your
interests were his interests; he was a thoroughly comfortable friend. He
epitomized the words of Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of
Christian Science, wherein she writes: To live and let live, without clamor
for distinction of recognition; to wait on divine Love; to write truth first on
the tablet of one's own heart ‑ this is the sanity and perfection of
living, and my human ideal.
John is survived by his father of Richmond, Virginia, two
sisters and two brothers. Glory Truesdale is survived by her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. George J. Dischert of Moorestown, New Jersey, and two brothers.
- Cavour L Truesdale
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USMA 1950