INNISFAIL - It was a gorgeous winter day on Jan. 13 when Russ Sutherland climbed into Glenn Chong’s Bell 47 helicopter with his son Wade.
It was the third time Russ, a longtime resident of Bowden, had flown in Glenn’s helicopter, and the fourth ever on a Bell 47; the first after being seriously wounded on a raging battlefield in Korea on Feb. 21,1951.
Russ, then a member of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI), was flown out to an American MASH unit.
But 74 years later he was with Glenn and his visiting B.C. son for a leisurely 40-minute airborne ride over the Red Deer River valley.
“During the flight, I’d given Wade the controls, and after a while I asked Russ if he wanted to fly,” said Chong. “When he politely declined I suggested ‘maybe next time.'
“Russ said quietly but without hesitation, ‘Next time I go flying I will have wings.”
That next time came less than a month later on Feb. 9.
For Russ, it was his most cherished flight.
Heaven above had called. He was 93.
On Feb. 18 at the Innisfail Alliance Church, more than 150 friends and family members gathered to honour his remarkable life.
It was a moving two-hour funeral service with Hal Willis and Pastor Ralph Rintisch officiating.
The service included spiritual music from Rhonda and Ted Whatley and an 11-member Honour Guard from CFB Edmonton’s 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry with accompaniment from bagpiper Sharon Dyker and trumpeter Regan Long.
There were also heartfelt tributes from his friends, including Chong, Jim Boyce, Kirk Bell, Michael Barclay and Arno Glover.
They honoured Russ’s deep devotion to God, his journey of faith through the Innisfail church, and his love of the outdoors, especially for fishing and hunting where there was always a special joyous commune with friends and family.
And of course there was his wife Patty, a love story on its own and without parallel.
She was presented with a folded Canadian flag from Glenn’s son Pte. Phillip Chong, a member of the PPCLI Honour Guard.
Russ’s service for country can never be understated, even if he always presented himself as a reluctant hero.
“I suppose there is out there a heroic image, which I have no idea about but I am no bloody hero. I was scared to death from time to time,” Russ told the Albertan in 2020.
But he indisputably served his country with valour on the Korean battlefield.
Even after being seriously wounded he came back to his unit’s front as a medic to courageously support and treat his wounded brothers-in-arms.
Following his military career Russ settled in Bowden with Patty and his children.
However, life was not always joyous. There were challenges with living.
“He had been troubled for many years with PTSD from his war experiences, along with other struggles in his life,” said Willis in his sermon. “He felt totally lost and didn't know what to do.
“He tried many things to make life better, but nothing worked.”
But then in the late 1980s Russ “hit a wall," added Willis.
And a voice came.
Russ made the decision to turn his life over to Jesus Christ. He was baptized in 1990.
He carried on with his life dedicated to faith, church, family and friends.
The past horrors of the Korean battlefield were behind him. He rarely talked about it.
But then in the early summer of 2020 while in the Innisfail No Frills parking lot, a man approached Russ as he exited his vehicle.
It was Michael Barclay, a retired Innisfail veteran who had spotted a veteran’s licence plate on a vehicle.
It was Russ. They chatted for several minutes.
“There was an instant bond connecting our military service,” said Barclay. “There was something about our conversation that was different than ones with other veterans that I've met, and I think what it was is that I had an uncle who served in Korea, and I think that helped between me and Russ.”
They quickly became good friends.
And then Arno Glover, current Bowden CAO and past manager of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #104 in Innisfail, made an inspired suggestion to Barclay to honour Russ’s exemplary service.
Glover wanted to ask Glenn if he could take the Korean War veteran on a helicopter ride in his Bell 47; the same model that transported him off the battlefield almost 70 years earlier.
“Arno met Russ the first time, and Russ said, ‘I'm not going to fly it,” said Barclay of the reluctant hero. “Then Patty found out about the helicopter, and said, ‘we're going flying. That settles it.”
There would be two more flights on Glenn’s helicopter, another with Patty joining and the last with son Wade.
During the COVID-19 pandemic on Russ’s 90th birthday, Barclay organized a veterans motorcycle ride past his house, which also included a flypast from Glenn.
The group of friends also continued to meet for coffee and lunches, with a special one paying tribute to Russ with the presentation of a quilt of valour.
They also convinced the Innisifail Eagles to have Russ honoured for his service.
Glover offered another tribute for Russ at the Feb. 18 service by noting “Per ardua ad astra”, a motto long held by the Canadian and British air forces; a Latin phrase that conveys the idea that great things are achieved by overcoming challenges.
“Russ overcame adversity in his early life,” said Glover. “To many of us he was a true star who lit up our world.
“I'm sure he will continue to shine down brightly on all of us.”
