Lt. Col. Richard Alan de Rusha, USA Sr.

Richard A. deRusha passed away on 06/12/2007 at Aurora Memorial Hospital. He was 85 years old.Born in Farmington, MN, he grew up in Denver where he attended South High School and Colorado School of Mines before entering the U.S. Army at the start of World War II. After discharge in 1945, he returned to continue his engineering studies. He joined the Bureau of Reclamation and was appointed Office Engineer on the Olympus Dam Project at Estes Park.At the outset of the Korean War, he was recalled to active duty and saw action on the Pusan Perimeter and took part in the landing at Inchon beach. He was wounded at the Battle of the Chosun Resevoir and was returned to Japan where his family joined him. For his actions he was awarded the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.He decided to remain in the Army and continued what became a 22 year career, highlighted by being selected as a Military Attache to the American Embassy in Moscow, USSR, and subsequent assignment as a Battalion Commander at Ft. Carson's Fifth Infantry Division.Following retirement from active duty, he joined the First National Bank of Denver and became the Vice President of Operations.After several years he decided to leave the bank and join a high school friend in his construction firm as General Superintendent where he remained until his official retirement in 1990.Richard was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Bettie June, in 2004. He is survived by his daughter, Susan (Robert) Hodes of Springfield, VA, and his son, Richard Jr. (Sandra) of Colorado Springs, as well as 3 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.