Posted by Ken Ruddy on November 26, 2003:

Tenney, Ken Ruddy, classmate of your Uncle Tenney Kutz Ross - Tenney and I were what you would describe as good friends for the four years at the Academy - not everyday or weekend buddies but frequent contact type of classmates. Pause to tell you - you are descended from and named for one of the finest Gentlemen and Soldiers that I have ever known - no exaggeration, no need to exaggerate ? the depth of Tenney's character and integrity cannot be overstated. In addition to our Academy years, we both chose Infantry and went to Riley, Benning, and on to Japan (15-1/2 days on the Pacific!) and eventually Korea. Korea - briefly - to provide you reassurance about the above comments - on the day of Tenney's ambush, we were given orders to follow up on their patrol and hopefully extract them from the ambush - as we moved along the road, I spotted Tenney among the other fatalities from the ambush. I halted, knelt down beside him to make a positive identification - from that point, my exact memory is blurred - I would like to claim that I removed his ring and other personal items, but I think I may have just left those steps for the Medics that were right behind us. After returning from Korea in late 1951, I visited his parents in Webster Grove, Missouri. If I had secured any of his personal belongings, I presented them to General and Mrs. Ross during that visit. His class ring always comes to my mind because it is the ring that represents our class on the ring collection in the Library at West Point - and I would like to believe that I was instrumental in it finding it's way there, but as I have stated I am not at all certain of the details of that moment - I do recall my grief because Tenney always seemed so youthful and so undeserving of his fate. He became one of the seventeen of our classmates lost in Korea - a class of 302 - about 35% Army Air Corps - Infantry split between Europe, Japan, and several special assignments, made 17 a very significant percentage of the class of 48 present in Korea. Only the Class of 1950 suffered more casualties. In our Division other classmates assigned would have been Carter W. (Stubby) Clarke (BG Ret.) 941-907-9889 Ext 20 Jose Antonio Font (Clemson Honor ROTC Regular Army Commission, joined us at Fort Riley) Sidney B. Berry (later a Sup't of USMA) Lou, Anthis (KIA) I will inclose any addresses, E-mails, etc. that I have for these friends and will inform them of your quest. I was both elated and saddened to receive your E-mail - I will pursue further specific information concerning Tenney and his unit. Stubby Clarke was the other classmate assigned to the 27th. He was I and R Platoon Leader at the time. I will speak with him. Similarly, I have very frequent contact with Foe Font and will relay his recollections to you - Joe had been wounded and evacuated to Japan prior to Tenney's ambush, however. Ken Ruddy

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