First Lt. James Rasmussen just turned 100 a couple of months ago.
“The 17th of January,” he said.
For a centenarian, Rasmussen says he doing just fine. “I had one bad bout with pneumonia and whatnot a couple of months ago,” said the Edina resident. “But that’s all cleared up now.”
Rasmussen will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Eden Prairie Memorial Day ceremony, which takes place from 11 a.m. to noon on Monday, May 27, at the Veterans Memorial in Purgatory Creek Park.
The ceremony honors those who served and sacrificed for the country and will feature patriotic music from the Eden Prairie Community Band and local singer Julie Tuck.
Rasmussen, a veteran of World War II and the Korean Conflict, served as a navigator in the 349th Squadron of the 100th Bomb Group during World War II. He flew 32 missions with the “Bloody 100th” Bomb Group in the 8th Air Force, facing some of the war’s most intense conflicts.
The 100th Bomb Group was recently highlighted in the Apple TV+ mini-series “Masters of the Air.” Produced by Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman, the series dramatizes the perilous bombing missions over Nazi Germany and the significant psychological toll on the airmen.
“Give them the idea that we all have a responsibility to carry on for what the other soldiers sacrificed for the country,” he said, summarizing the essence of what he plans to say in Eden Prairie on Monday.
Though he now needs a cane or walker for mobility and has limited vision, Rasmussen’s spirit remains strong. Later this month, he will join 70 other World War II veterans on an Honor Flight to France, sponsored by American Airlines. This trip commemorates the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. The veterans will spend two days in Paris before traveling to Normandy for commemorative events, culminating in a June 6 ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery.
“The last time I was there was in 2019,” Rasmussen recalled. “We’ll be on the beaches of Normandy where the invasion took place and then at the cemetery to commemorate the invasion.”
This journey, both a return to a significant chapter in his past and a moment of profound respect, will allow Rasmussen to honor those who served alongside him.
“That’s one of the humbling things about being one of the few remaining veterans left,” Rasmussen reflected. “I get more recognition than I feel I deserve.”
For more information on honoring the veterans of Eden Prairie, visit the city’s website.
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