They Don’t Make Them Like That Anymore
When I was writing my post from yesterday, Suburbia, I mentioned my family from Crooksville, Ohio. Crooksville was once home to Hull Pottery and my mother’s family were part of the Hull clan from that area. On the wikipedia page for Crooksville is a list of a whole two famous people from the town and one of those is a guy named Ronald E. Rosser….
He looks like he could be part of my family. Born in 1929 and dying in 2020, Rosser was awarded the Medal of Honor in Korea, having joined the Army in 1946 but then re-enlisting in 1951 to avenge the death of his brother in Korea, specifically requesting a combat assignment and serving in a mortar company of the 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. Here is the citation for his Medal of Honor while serving in Korea….
Cpl. Rosser, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty. While assaulting heavily fortified enemy hill positions, Company L, 38th Infantry Regiment, was stopped by fierce automatic-weapons, small-arms, artillery, and mortar fire. Cpl. Rosser, a forward observer, was with the lead platoon of Company L when it came under fire from 2 directions. Cpl. Rosser turned his radio over to his assistant and, disregarding the enemy fire, charged the enemy positions armed with only carbine and a grenade. At the first bunker, he silenced its occupants with a burst from his weapon. Gaining the top of the hill, he killed 2 enemy soldiers, and then went down the trench, killing 5 more as he advanced. He then hurled his grenade into a bunker and shot 2 other soldiers as they emerged. Having exhausted his ammunition, he returned through the enemy fire to obtain more ammunition and grenades and charged the hill once more. Calling on others to follow him, he assaulted 2 more enemy bunkers. Although those who attempted to join him became casualties, Cpl. Rosser once again exhausted his ammunition, obtained a new supply, and returning to the hilltop a third time hurled grenades into the enemy positions. During this heroic action Cpl. Rosser single-handedly killed at least 13 of the enemy. After exhausting his ammunition he accompanied the withdrawing platoon, and though himself wounded, made several trips across open terrain still under enemy fire to help remove other men injured more seriously than himself. This outstanding soldier’s courageous and selfless devotion to duty is worthy of emulation by all men. He has contributed magnificently to the high traditions of the military service.
I loved this part:
On September 20, 1966, another of Rosser’s brothers, PFC Gary Edward Rosser, USMC, was killed in action, this time in the Vietnam War. He requested a combat assignment in Vietnam but was rejected and retired from the army soon after.
Not content with winning the Medal of Honor in Korea, he wanted to go back into combat in Vietnam at the age of 37 to kill some VC after his brother was killed in action.
JFC. I feel bad for the guy, it must have been hard for him to get along in life having to carry his enormous brass balls around in a wheelbarrow. Hells bells, he is in his 80s in the picture above and using a cane to walk and he still looks like he could kick the shit out of most young punks.
Ronald Rosser was just some kid from a tiny town in Ohio, the oldest of 17 children. He delivered mail for around 30 years and I doubt many of the people he delivered letters to had any clue that the dude was a stone cold killer.
Those are the kind of men who made America feared. I wonder what Ronald Rosser would say about the modern American Army? I can probably guess.