[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15658]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    IN MEMORY OF CHARLES REED RUCKER

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ROBERT B. ADERHOLT

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 14, 2011

  Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, on a farm in Crabapple, Georgia, Charles 
Reed Rucker was born August 14, 1921. His parents were Jeff Lafayette 
(Jepp) and Nancy Emily Reed Rucker. He grew up on a farm in Crabapple 
which is now considered a suburb of Atlanta. Charles graduated from 
high school in 1938. He sold magazine subscriptions and worked for 
McQuary Engineering stringing power lines in South Carolina after high 
school and during the ``Great Depression'' as everyone was doing 
whatever they could do to sustain life.
  On a hot July 3, 1940, as a young man Charles enlisted in the Navy--
riding a train to Norfolk, Virginia, where he received his boot 
training. He was shipped aboard the U.S.S. Prairie. The Prairie caught 
fire perhaps from a torpedo, and Charles along with the crew went 
aboard the U.S.S. Dennabola and was sent to submarine squadron 3 in the 
Panama Canal Zone where patrol off the coast of Panama and Eastern 
South America. A palm log pierced the bottom of the patrol plane which 
was equipped with 4 depth charges set to automatically arm at 25 feet 
of water. The crew had to abandon the plane and swim to shore but 
before they reached the shore the U.S. Army Corps from France Field 
came to their rescue and returned the crew to the station in Panama.
  From there Charles went to officer's training school at Mercer 
University at Macon, Georgia, after which he was assigned to Whiting 
Field in Pensacola, Florida, then to Cony Field. While serving at Cony 
Field he was promoted to Leading Chief of his squadron. After 2 years 
he was sent back to Panama Canal Zone to form another squadron. The 
second day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, his squadron was ordered 
to Pearl Harbor to assist in clean-up.
  After this operation Charles returned to the states with the Navy 
Transport Squadron VR673. Next they were ordered to the European 
Theater on a diplomatic mission, crossing the North Atlantic into 
Ireland. From Shannon, Ireland they flew in to France, England and 
Germany.
  From there the crew went to Holland and from Holland to Brussels, 
Belgium, the back again to England, then back to the U.S. Charles was 
transferred from the 15th Naval District to the 5th Naval District in 
Charleston, South Carolina, and ultimately returned to NAS Atlanta as a 
member of VR673 active reserve as Leading Chief Petty Officer. From NAS 
Atlanta Charles flew support missions during the Korean Crisis and the 
Vietnam War. He remained stationed at NAS Atlanta in the reserve until 
he retired on his birthday, August 14, 1981.
  Charles started to work for Delta Airlines in Atlanta in 1954 in the 
maintenance department, then progressed to the Engineering Department 
where he edited a technical publication that aided maintenance 
personnel. He remained in that position until retirement in 1983. After 
retirement he and his wife, Claudia, moved from their home in 
Doraville, Georgia, to Lake Lanier. This was a wonderful transition for 
Charles and Claudia. After Claudia's retirement they purchased her home 
place in Winston County, Alabama, and relocated there where they 
resided until Charles' death on August 10, 2011.
  Charles was the father of one daughter, Patricia Rucker Goss, and two 
sons Gregory Anthony (Tony) and David Christopher (Chris) Rucker and 
was grandfather to 5 grandchildren: Beth Goss Scarborough, Melissa 
Goss, Leanne Rucker Waldrep, Noah Rucker and Caleb Rucker.
  He will be missed by these and many others but the one that will miss 
him more is his beloved wife of 42 years, Claudia.
  Charles was a wonderful individual who had countless friends. He was 
a much loved husband, father and grandfather and a great American and 
patriot.

                          ____________________