Posted by XXXXXX on April 22, 2008:

Tenney Kutz Ross NO. 16737 CLASS OF 1948 KILLED IN ACTION, NOVEMBER 6, I950, IN KOREA AGED 24 YEARS TENNEY ROSS was born into the Army, both his father and mother having come from Army families. His ambitions and ideals were those of the Army, and during his brief career he came in contact with almost every phase of Army life, from training schools to the battlefield. He first went to Korea with the 29th Infantry Regiment, which had been on garrison duty on the island of Okinawa. This regiment had the misfortune to be badly mauled in an ambush during the last week of July 1950 when the Eighth Army was being driven back to the Naktong river line in southeast Korea. The fighting of the 29th Regiment near Chinju helped greatly to slow the Communist attack toward Pusan, and gave the United Nations units badly needed time to reorganize. Tenney was seriously wounded during this action and was evacuated to a hospital in Japan. Several months later, on being returned to duty, he turned down an opportunity to take an assignment in Japan in order to rejoin his comrades in Korea. The 29th Infantry had been deactivated and the survivors assigned to the 27th Infantry Regiment, a part of the 25th Division. Tenney became a platoon leader in "L" Company of that regiment. Less than a month later on November 6, 1950, near Kojang-ni in North Korea, Tenney was killed in action. Those are brief words to describe the pain and suffering of Tenney's service and injuries in Korea. There are no words to lessen the loss his death brought to his family and friends. Here I will quote in its entirety a letter written by General of the Army Douglas MacArthur to Tenney's mother. It puts into words thoughts a lesser man could not adequately express. "Dear Mrs. Ross: "The untimely and tragic loss of your son, Tenney, who met his death on the field of battle in Korea, has shocked all of us deeply. Some measure of comfort may be derived from the knowledge that he died in the service of his country and in the defense of a peace-loving people. "I am confident that his devotion to duty, at the cost of all he held dear, will hasten the day when ruthless aggression shall disappear from the face of the earth and free men everywhere will live together in peace and harmony. "Our faith enables us to withstand the shock and grief of death. It is my earnest prayer that Almighty God will sustain and strengthen you in this hour of trial. While the loss of your beloved one will be a hardship, we know that no life is really lost for those who have faith in God. "Sincerely yours, Douglas MacArthur." Tenney throughout his life exhibited many traits of character for which he was admired by all who knew him. There was a natural humility of spirit and a degree of self control only possible in a God-fearing man with great moral strength. The opinion of the men who served under Tenney is indicated by a letter written to Tenney's father from a Master Sergeant. This sergeant had served with Tenney in the 29th Infantry and was First Sergeant of "L" Company, 27th Infantry, during the period that Tenney was with that company. Here is a brief quotation from that letter: "I only knew your son from a professional standpoint but I can truthfully say he was a superior soldier in all respects, especially military bearing and personal appearance" Undoubtedly Tenney's honesty and forthrightness in all his actions made him an unusually capable officer. It was during Tenney's hospitalization after he was wounded that he displayed his most outstanding personal characteristic; his unselfishness. I was with Tenney for a few days in the Tokyo Army Hospital and had the opportunity to see him frequently under those far from normal circumstances. There was never any time that he hesitated to do anything to make the other patients' lot easier. Once he himself was able to get out of bed, he often went out of his way cheerfully to help those who were confined to their beds. It was while in this hospital that Tenney made a choice that illustrates more than any other single instance his complete disregard for his own personal welfare. Having already experienced the dangers and discomforts of military combat, he chose to return to Korea rather than remain in the camparative safety of Japan. Only a man with a deep sense of responsibility toward his Army career, and to ideals well beyond any thought of personal gain, could have made this decision that cost him his life. We are still too close to Tenney to be able to reconcile the fact of his death. His memory is too real to allow him to be shut into the past. In the minds of those who knew and loved him, his personality is a living thing that time cannot remove. His life was short and in many ways incomplete, yet it was so filled by the godly virtues of humility, courage, and self-sacrifice that it serves as an enduring example to those of us still living. — William G. Thomas, Jr.

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