Edward Rasimus Obituary

Wonderful memories of my cousin. One of my favorites is the year he was Santa Clause and visited all the younger cousins. He stopped by our house to wish our family a Merry Christmas. A special surprise. Love you, Bud!

I just started reading When Thunder Rolled. My late husband, Willy Koenitzer, (went west in Oct 2021 at age 88) flew 100 over NVN from Korat in the F-105, finishing January 18, 1966. I married him in Okinawa, where I was visiting my Dad, an Army Col. Willy was with both the 357th and 469th squadrons out of Wichita and part of the AVG to Korat with a little respite also pulling nuke alert at Kadena AFB Okinawa.
Willy and I went to Bangkok on our honeymoon and also visited the 469th squadron at Korat. I had the good fortune to meet those incredible men at Korat, Kadena and McConnell AFB. I only recognize one name from this list, but understand some of that they all went though. I wish I could have known Ed and Carol. Carol, if you are still with us, I would love to hear from you.

Ed was one of my T-38 Instructor Pilots at Williams AFB in 1968. I learned later that we were also stationed together at Korat during the latter part of 1972 but did not run into him there. I was in the 56th ARRSq, flyng the rescue AMC role, and we may have worked together and not realized it. RIP friend.

I flew with Ed Rasimus for 3+ years at Torrejon AB, SP. He was the flight lead of a 4-ship on a road recce mission to find our squadron aircrew returning to Incirlik, TU from pulling range officer duties at Konya gunnery range. The mission was successful and this was the last pass (of me flying #4) when he called "Knock it off." The guy in the right seat of the gov't pick-up truck caught me on film. Thanks, Raz for not letting me make another pass.

Just reading his Book When Thunder Rolled. I see T Larry Barnett was associated with him. If you see this please reply, I would love to talk to you

I have read his book When Thunder Rolled several times, finishing it again just now, when I thought to find out if there was a way to contact him and mention that his picture showed him still bulletproof.
No one is really gone as long as they are remembered.
Keep flying

Ed and I were fighter pilot instructors together at Holloman AFB, New Mexico back in the early eighties. He was a good man and a great pilot. I am currently reading When Thunder Rolled. I'm sorry he is gone!

Ed and I were instructors in the 435th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron at Holloman AFB back in the early eighties. He was a good man and a great fighter pilot. I always enjoyed listening to his presentations to young pilots on their way to becoming future fighter pilots. I just got a copy of his book and I'm looking forward to the read!

I was unaware he'd passed away until I saw him in a National Geographic show last night commemorating fighter pilots in Viet Nam and specifically discussing the challenges of F-105 pilots, and I decided to look him up today. He was my political science professor in Colorado Springs, and I remember when "Thunder Rolled" came out, because I bought a copy as soon as they arrived and he signed one for me. He was one of, if not the, most influential professor I had, and one of the first I as a young Marine could relate to having just left the service and gone back to school. Truly a gentleman and a scholar, I am deeply saddened by his passing, though years later, and the family has my deepest condolences. He was a good man.

I was réally impress by your books' and by the accuracy of your writes' ed.
Keep a good speed
Thanks for your legacy

Many good memories of cousin "Bud" growing up. Particularly the year he played Santa Claus. Today would have been his 71st birthday. With love and sympathy to you Carol

I first Read Ed's Palace Cobra, found it to be very accurate. I was a crew chief on F'4s at Udorn. Oct 72 to Oct 73, same time frame as was Ed at Korat. I then read his first book . I found him to be the TRUE PROFESIONAL. My job in the Air Force was to support pilots like him by keeping the "spear" ready to go. I'll be throwing some nickels on the grass when I leave work tonight. May he rest in peace.

Colonel George "Ace" Acree

Raz, Your legacy will live on in your books about flying the F-105 and F-4. Our paths crossed at Korat and Torrejon and you inspired all of us. Wish we could have seen you and Carol at the 613 TFS reunion last May. You will be missed, but never forgotten. Our deepest sympathy to Carol.

The toughest fight you you had to fight was the last one. But like all the others you did it with great dignity. I have dwelled on your passing ever since I learned of it. It took me a while to figure out why. You were my last link to the air war we both fought so long ago. You were my friend since 1968 at Williams. All through the years we kept in touch. I am prevelidged to have severed with you and to have know you. Thank you my friend. Throw a nickel on the grass! A toast to you and Robin. Love you my brother.

Ed's funeral information is posted on his Facebook page at:

http://www.facebook.com/ed.rasimus?ref=ts&fref=ts

I never had the privilege of knowing Mr. Rasimus personally, only by facebook, but still when I finished reading "Fighter Pilot" book, I was so thrilled with it that I wanted to be as close as possible I could get to both the authors, so I added them on FB. I talked with Mr. several times via inbox and he answered me some questions regarding military aviation, he explained me what does the weapons code Fox 1, Fox 2 and Fox 3 meant and told me a good joke that if you ran out of ammo flying a Phantom in Nam, you would say Fox-4 Which meant crashing your Phantom into the enemy, I believe it at first then I realize it was a joke, ha!

We will miss you Mr. Rasimus, wish you blue skies wherever you go.

Ed was a great teacher to all of us at Torrejon. You are will always be fondly remembered and sorely missed. Waiting here in the DC area for your final flight. God speed on your journey through eternity.

Ed, my thoughts are with your family. I will miss the reunion with drinks and shots: plus you allowing me to show you how to work your iPhone and the while having the Abbott boys laughing at me until I said what! You knew all about the phone and was kind enough to sit and listen to my rambling on. :). Miss you!

My deepest condolences on the loss of a great Fighter Pilot. May God touch all of you tenderly and help to ease the pain of loss.

Raz...We sure are going to miss you!

RIP, Soldier brave. Your books were a great addition to my small library. May God keep you in the shelter of his wings.

Just a quick note to say how pleased I am to see how great the response has been signing the guest book. When I signed two days ago I did not take time to read all the entries. Now that I have it's truly wonderful to see the outpouring of affection and respect for Raz.

ED, you will be missed by many but only those of us who witnessed how you lived your life, served your country, loved your family and the inspiration you passed on to others, can really absorb the depth of you loss. As your crew chief I strapped you into your jets just before you launched your many missions into harm's way in SEA and I regret that I could not be there to launch you on your final flight. You have now completed the final graduation and you name is posted on the flight schedule of our Lord in haven. RIP Brother. James O. Helms, Fort Walton Beach, FL

Rest in Peace My Brother and soar on the Wings of Our Lord.We are all Brothers and ache when we Loose one.God Bless You and Thank You for Your Service.

First saw you in the movie...I was a young ROTC stud. Thanks for the friendship all these years. Are you flyin the Thuid again, or is there somethjing better up there? A nickel on the grass for you buddy.

Raz,
As a new second lieutenant you were my hero and mentor, and became my friend--you will be missed. God Speed

We miss you Raz. You are on God's wing now. Until we all rejoin may God protect you.

Ed, Raz, Thunder, Having you as a friend was like having the best IP, the best wingman, and the best advisor all rolled into one. Your passion for excellence in all you did, including the sharing your experiences in books, has left a valued legacy to those that follow. God Bless you and your family. It's not a good bye, because I look forward to a time when we can all join up and make "Thunder roll" again. Here's a nickle on the grass. Well done!!

ed,
what a warrior you became the instant you realized that you were both invisable and bullet proof. gbu, mp

Thanks for the memories, Raz.

We miss you Raz; a great warrior and a friend. God Bless You.

A great warrior who will be long remembered.

Les Strouse

I'll miss you, as will many others. We flew hard and played hard, times I'll not soon forget. Thanks for being my friend.

Nobody can take your place you golden-handed, silver tongued, smooth writin', full AB fighter jock!

Buddy and my Dad were first cousins. It took years to track him down, but we finally started corresponding about three years ago. I will miss him.

Ed was gracious enough to friend this complete stranger on Facebook while I was looking up information on his Robin Olds book. Our conversations on the Internet were some of the most thought provoking I've had. He was a patient teacher, open minded, determined patriot who served his country with honor. It was a pleasure and honor to have called him a friend. God speed Ed.

I wrote these words in honor of my friend and former Ops Officer, Ed Rasimus, a few days before he left us. It's posted on his FB page, but here it is again, just in case you haven't read it.

Ode to Ras

He came, we are told, from the city of big shoulders
And like the place that saw him grow,
He learned to brag, to laugh, to brawl.
When duty called, he left the comfort of his haunt
And joined the drafted throng to fight a dubious war.
Flag and country smitten, a million times he flew
And over the Mekong, he dared and beat
The internal demons that before him stood.
Of his fears he later wrote. Also of the feats
And of the targets destroyed when thunder rolled.
A thousand times the ground below blew up and
Just as much the jungle cover wore fastidious glows.
When enemy guns failed to bring down their craft,
He and others in the fold resorted to sonic boom,
Ascending, whirling and twirling in a no man's sky,
Awaiting their foe or regrouping for another run.

Once the war grew old, he retired to his own.
He tried to stick around, but friend and foe were now one.
Little joy he found not practicing his trade; brawling high above
Or hurling his craft and explosives to targets on the ground.
Ras went home, his other home. He wrote books
And told us what it was to go up north, to follow a route,
A river, a train's track, while sliding past the firing guns,
For a two minute fling to pound and hurt Hanoi.
Of other things he also wrote and tried to make sense
Of a world he no longer knew. He wasn't alone.
By Pedro Chávez

Ed (or Bud as we all called him then) and I first met when we were about 12 years old. Grew up in Chicago together. We meet in a hobby shop on Milwaukee Ave where we learn about making and flying model airplanes. We both loved airplanes from the start. As we grew up we developed other interests, cars, girls, drinking beer and generally raising hell. Ed was really a smart guy and always full of fun and of surprises. I remember when he graduated from High School he won an appointment to the AF Academy form the Senator Everett Dirksen. But decided he was having too much fun in Chicago, so he politely said, “No Thanks”.

On his last visit I asked him about any new projects, he said he had some notes on a Western History thing and another on a young man growing up in Chicago. I would have loved to have seen the latter. We did lots of crazy things growing up. I remember one Spring Friday night we're going out drinking and after picking Ed up we decide we need to stop at Nelson-Hirschberg Ford and test drive Ford's new 1964 Mustang. So we took one out for test drive, I drove it first with the salesman in the front seat and Ed in the back. Just a few blocks both Ed and I could see the car was nothing special. Might have even been a 6 cylinder. So now its Ed turn to drive. He jumps in and floors it tells the salesman to hang on and slams on the brakes. The car drift all over the place coming to a stop them floors it again. We doing 40-50 down the side streets in Chicago which are posted at 25, skidding and four wheel drifting around the corners. The salesman now has turned white and is calmly trying to walk Ed into slowing down, with no luck. After about 15 Min we return to the dealers ship where Ed critiques' the salesman on what a piece of crap the car was and what they need to do to improve the car before he'll buy one. Then off we go to Casey's for a night of drinking Meister Bräu Bock beer.

Ed was a great writer because he had a lot of great life experiences to write about. He certainly lived life to its fullest. We were each other “Best Man” at our weddings. We were lucky to have even survived those bashes. Ed did know how to party.

You don't have many lifelong friends and Ed's passing will make the world a lonelier place for me. A nickel on the grass old buddy.

RIP Sir,

The world is a lesser place without you.

I never met Ed in person but enjoyed our conversations and debates online over the past few years.
Per Adua Ad Astra

I regret never having met Ed face to face. We corresponded frequently through various online forums over the years. I appreciated his honesty and his directness. I learned from him. God bless you, Ed.

Dear Carol, My deep sympathy on the loss of Ed. A fellow F-105 pilot, I knew him as Raz the air warrior, and will miss his keen intellect and love of life. A Nickel on the Grass to you pal.

Sad to hear of Ed's passing. We spent many an evening, in our youth, over more than one beer at Casey's. In fact, we each celebrated our twenty-first birthday two or three times each! Some very fond memories.

Never met anyone in the Air Force like him! A brilliant thinker, a superb pilot, who could still belly up to the bar and create an instant party. He loved the good life and what a life it was! Nickel on the grass for you, my friend. Hope one day I can fly in your backseat again!

I first met Ed as a ROTC Cadet via "There is a way". I didn't understand. I graduated, was commissioned, went to UPT and got an F-4. Still didn't understand. Went to Holloman to be a Lead-in IP. Ed was my instructor. Learned more about being a Fighter Pilot in those three months than the previous five years. Pretty sure Ed put in a request for me to be assigned to the 435th. A litter later, I got a 1v1 with Ed. He made sure it was just he and I, no back seaters. Went to Beak-C, the closest area. Butterfly setup, turn away, turn in fight's on. Ed takes s head on gun shot in the first pass. I' m stunned. That's Cheating! But I'm on the defensive. The flight was only one engagement and I spent most of it jinking. On RTB and debrief, Ed said, when it's real, there are no rules. I became a fighter pilot that day Here's a Nickel on the grass, Ed, you had a profound effect on the USAF (and me).

Ed had a way of making everyone feel as though they were as erudite as he was. A genuine raconteur, a gentleman, and a man full of honor and integrity. His family has our deepest sympathies.

Carol, So sorry to hear of Ed's passing. Just wanted you to know I am thinking of you...lots of us are here in D-3. Take care of yourself.

God bless you Ed. We will meet again some day.

RAZ. Kind of Texas and SUPER COMBAT FIGHTERPILOT in the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association (River Rats) AND the SOCIETY of WILD WEASELS, AUTHOR and LEADER..WE MISS YOUR HUMOR and LEADERSHIP! As you FLY WEST into the SUN. GBU! Ck Six. Cave Putorium

A nickel, a toast, and a tear for you, good man.

RIP Ed . . . It is an honor to have known you.

Be at peace my friend. You will not be forgotten by the many that knew you...

Dear Carol, We are so sorry to read that Ed has passed away. We are very proud to have been your neighbors in Colo. Spgs., and remember fondly the day Ed took such wonderful care of Andy's cut knee. May God keep Ed in his eternal care. Our deepest condolences.

Good luck up there.

Welcome home, bro. Again. We had your back in SEA and hope you have ours when we meet in a better place. Requiescat in pace.

God speed Thud Driver.A Nickel on the grass.

We'll miss you Raz. I'll always remember
our time together in the Thud at Korat.

Throwing a nickle in the grass for a real American hero. Rest in Peace, Sir.

R.I.P. Sir

From the first day of UPT, Ed declared himself the "best stick and rudder man" in history. He went on to prove himself in many battles. His last battle was with an enemy that many of us now face. From beginning to end, he demonstrated both humor and courage! A great warrior!

Rest in peace Sir. God bless you and your family.

The world is a better place for having you in it, Ed. We will miss you. Here's a nickel on the grass for one hell of a great fighter pilot and a true American hero!

Jim and I will miss not seeing you at the Rats Reunions...you've been an awesome friend for many years....God speed and rest in ever lasting peace...

Thank you for the memories, Ed, I'll always remember you fondly.

Ed is one of my hero's in life. He had the courage enough to fly the F-105 into North Vietnam in 1966 when the Thuds were dropping like fly's from enemy SAM's, MIG's and AAA fire. Raz went back to SEA again after surviving his first encounter with the NVA. In 1972 Raz was there again to deal the NVA their defeat and help release our POW's. My respect for Ed will live on forever.

I knew Ed only through his books and his blog. We flew the same skies together back in the '60's but never met personally. I still feel as if I lost a great friend.
Semper Fi from an old Marine.

Here's a drink to our many conversations, the serious discussions we had, and the many laughs, but most of all to our friendship through many years. RIP good buddy and save a place at the pilot's table for me.

Ed was the real thing, a courageous man, a pilot, a hero, a writer, a thinker, and a great gentleman and patriot. I pray that he has inspired more like him, because the generations to come will need them. God bless you, Ed.

Hasta la vista, Sir!

Rest easy, Ed. God has your "six" now. Fly high!

Ed is missed daily. He was an inspiration back in the 1960's and has remained so in these recent years. RIP and have a good flight.

Ed,
Enjoy your last ride west. You were a good friend and it was an honor to know you.

God speed on your trip west, Raz. You have been a great friend and inspiration to many. You are leaving a tremendous legacy. You will be missed.
My sincerest condolences, Carol. You have a big team supporting you. Let us know what you need.

So sorry to hear about Ed - I have fond memories of our encounters when we were both involved in Colorado Springs politics years ago. Rest in Peace, old warrior...