A selfless public servant – a Minnesotan no less – has died, reminding us all once again how important true public servants are to the destiny of this nation.
Gen. John William Vessey Jr. died Aug. 18 at his home in North Oaks at the age of 94.
At the time of his retirement from active military service, in 1985, Vessey was at that time the longest-serving active-duty member of the U.S. Army.
President Ronald Reagan appointed Vessey to be the 10th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a position he held from 1982-85.
Born in Minneapolis, he graduated from Roosevelt High School and enlisted in the Minnesota National Guard. He served in Europe during World War II and took part in the beachfront bloody-but-decisive invasion of Anzio, Italy in January 1944. At that time, Italy was in the grip of the fascists, backed by Nazi Germany.
Later, Vessey served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He was the last four-star combat veteran of World War II to remain in active service that long.
Even after retirement, Vessey served selflessly. At the request of three presidents, right up through President Bill Clinton, Vessey gladly served as an emissary, trying to resolve issues surrounding prisoner-of-war, missing-in-action U.S. soldiers in the Vietnam War. He made six trips to Vietnam, and his tireless work helped make possible the identification of the remains or the last-seen whereabouts of so many soldiers whose families could finally find a bit of solace and closure.
Vessey was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992, just one of many medals and honors that virtually punctuated his long, distinguished years of service. Among the medals was a Purple Heart for being wounded in action.
Last year, Avis, his wife of 69 years, died. They have three children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Vessey was buried Sept. 1 in the Minnesota State Veterans’ Cemetery in Stillwater.
Vessey loved Minnesota and lived at various times at Whitefish Lake, Garrison and North Oaks.
All who knew Vessey praised him for his being down-to-earth, unpretentious, level-headed, a man who rolled up his sleeves and got the job done. He was also admired widely for relating to well, like a brother, to all soldiers.
This is what President Reagan said of Vessey during a tribute:
“Jack Vessey always remembered the soldiers in the ranks; he understood those soldiers are the backbone of the army. He noticed them, spoke to them, looked out for them. Jack Vessey never forgot what it was like to be an enlisted man, to be just a G.I.”
We often hear the young adults of the World War II years constituted the “Best Generation.” Vessey – a true patriot and a public servant in every sense of the word – was among the best of those best. It can truly be said of him, “They don’t make ‘em like that anymore.”
