| Bruington-Jenkins-Sturgeon Funeral Home P.O. Box 546, 205 High Street Brandenburg, KY 40108 Phone: (270) 422-2115 Fax: (270) 422-2117 E-Mail: bjsfhome@bbtel.com |
| Ross Lee Carson |
Ross Lee Carson, 84, of Brandenburg, KY was called home to Heavenly Father on Saturday, November
20, 2010.
Ross was born March 22, 1926 in Lewis, NY, the son of Frank Ross and Cora Edith McDougal Carson.
He was preceded in death by his previous wife June Elizabeth Lydamore Carson, parents, two sisters and
three brothers.
He is survived by his wife Lora Bennett Carson, his sons Craig (Diane) Carson, Gregory (Sherry) Carson
and Rupert (Karrie) Carson, 13 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
Ross was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and served faithfully in many
capacities including Elder’s Quorum President, High Priest Group Leader, Stake High Council, Branch
President and Bishop of the Brandenburg Ward. He and Lora served a mission to Lame Deer, MT on the
Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation.
Ross graduated from Elizabethtown-Lewis Central High School in May 1943, whereupon he and his
brother, James Carson, enlisted in the U.S. Navy. While serving as a Seaman, First Class in the Pacific
Theatre aboard the LST USS Midas, his ship barely survived a Japanese suicide kamikaze attack.
Discharged in December 1945, Ross attended Champlain College and Albany Business College, aspiring
to become an attorney like his older brother Harlan Carson. But flying seemed more beckoning and Ross
enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1948 as a Cadet Pilot Trainee at Williams AFB in Arizona. Barely
surviving a near fatal nighttime crash during his flight training, he was commissioned as a Second
Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. Later, he successfully flew more than 100 combat missions in the Korean
War as an F-51 Mustang Pilot. He received the Purple Heart for wounds received on a bombing mission
over North Korea and was also awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second highest
award for "extraordinary heroism". In 1963, Ross was selected for a prestigious and dangerous mission as
a test pilot in the Mohave Desert, for the experimental F-106 Delta Dart. He often flew with the world
famous test pilot, Chuck Yeager, the first pilot to break the sound barrier. Ross became only the 18th pilot
in the world to fly a jet fighter at more than Mach II, two times the speed of sound. He narrowly missed
becoming one of the first 25 NASA astronauts in the early years of space exploration. In 1968, during the
height of the Vietnam War, Ross flew more than 200 combat missions in his F-4 Phantom Fighter Jet. In
less than 18 months, Ross was promoted from Major to full Colonel, a remarkable feat in itself. His heroic
leadership in Vietnam earned him his second Distinguished Flying Cross, the Silver Star (the nation's third
highest heroism award) and the Bronze Star. He had logged more than 6100 hours of flight time throughout
his military career, including nearly 700 hours in direct combat missions. Ross retired from the military on
June 30, 1972, after serving more than 26 years of distinguished military service spanning WWII, The
Korean War and the Vietnam Conflict.
Visitation will be from 4 – 9 P.M. Tuesday, and on Wednesday after 11 A.M at the Bruington-Jenkins-
Sturgeon Funeral Home.
Funeral Services will be held at 3:00 P.M., Wed, Nov 23 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’
chapel in Brandenburg. Burial will take place at a later date in the Arlington National Cemetery in
Washington D.C. with full military honors.
20, 2010.
Ross was born March 22, 1926 in Lewis, NY, the son of Frank Ross and Cora Edith McDougal Carson.
He was preceded in death by his previous wife June Elizabeth Lydamore Carson, parents, two sisters and
three brothers.
He is survived by his wife Lora Bennett Carson, his sons Craig (Diane) Carson, Gregory (Sherry) Carson
and Rupert (Karrie) Carson, 13 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
Ross was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and served faithfully in many
capacities including Elder’s Quorum President, High Priest Group Leader, Stake High Council, Branch
President and Bishop of the Brandenburg Ward. He and Lora served a mission to Lame Deer, MT on the
Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation.
Ross graduated from Elizabethtown-Lewis Central High School in May 1943, whereupon he and his
brother, James Carson, enlisted in the U.S. Navy. While serving as a Seaman, First Class in the Pacific
Theatre aboard the LST USS Midas, his ship barely survived a Japanese suicide kamikaze attack.
Discharged in December 1945, Ross attended Champlain College and Albany Business College, aspiring
to become an attorney like his older brother Harlan Carson. But flying seemed more beckoning and Ross
enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1948 as a Cadet Pilot Trainee at Williams AFB in Arizona. Barely
surviving a near fatal nighttime crash during his flight training, he was commissioned as a Second
Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. Later, he successfully flew more than 100 combat missions in the Korean
War as an F-51 Mustang Pilot. He received the Purple Heart for wounds received on a bombing mission
over North Korea and was also awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second highest
award for "extraordinary heroism". In 1963, Ross was selected for a prestigious and dangerous mission as
a test pilot in the Mohave Desert, for the experimental F-106 Delta Dart. He often flew with the world
famous test pilot, Chuck Yeager, the first pilot to break the sound barrier. Ross became only the 18th pilot
in the world to fly a jet fighter at more than Mach II, two times the speed of sound. He narrowly missed
becoming one of the first 25 NASA astronauts in the early years of space exploration. In 1968, during the
height of the Vietnam War, Ross flew more than 200 combat missions in his F-4 Phantom Fighter Jet. In
less than 18 months, Ross was promoted from Major to full Colonel, a remarkable feat in itself. His heroic
leadership in Vietnam earned him his second Distinguished Flying Cross, the Silver Star (the nation's third
highest heroism award) and the Bronze Star. He had logged more than 6100 hours of flight time throughout
his military career, including nearly 700 hours in direct combat missions. Ross retired from the military on
June 30, 1972, after serving more than 26 years of distinguished military service spanning WWII, The
Korean War and the Vietnam Conflict.
Visitation will be from 4 – 9 P.M. Tuesday, and on Wednesday after 11 A.M at the Bruington-Jenkins-
Sturgeon Funeral Home.
Funeral Services will be held at 3:00 P.M., Wed, Nov 23 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’
chapel in Brandenburg. Burial will take place at a later date in the Arlington National Cemetery in
Washington D.C. with full military honors.
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| November 20, 2010 |
| Bruington-Jenkins-Sturgeon Funeral Home |
