Lieutenant Colonel (ret.) Ion Rusu, regarded as the last surviving war veteran in the municipality of Bacău, has died at the age of 104. The announcement was made by the 95th Air Base “Hero Captain Aviator Alexandru Șerbănescu”.
Born on July 23, 1922, Ion Rusu took part in World War II, having been drafted into the Romanian Army as a private. Between 1943 and 1944, he served with the 1st and 3rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiments, while from 1944 to 1945 he was part of the 3rd Air Communications Regiment.
For his participation in the war and his military service, Ion Rusu was awarded the Commemorative Cross Medal for Participation in World War II, 1941–1945.
During one of his last meetings with representatives of the 95th Air Base, the veteran recalled his first experiences in the army and the difficult years he spent during the war.
“They drafted us in the spring, before Easter, dressed in hemp clothes and wearing peasant sandals. It was the first time I had ever been to Bucharest, and we walked from the North Railway Station. There were three of us from Bacău County, and I remember each of them. One has since died, while the other was from Tescani. We missed home, our children and our wives,” Ion Rusu recalled.
He also remembered the period when he was assigned to Cotroceni and Carol Park in Bucharest, where his mission was to sound the alarm during air raids.
“After we returned from Constanța, we were assigned to Cotroceni, in Carol Park. We sounded the alarm after the bombing started, and we had seven telephone booths. Those who had shoes had to carry on their backs those who did not. I went through the entire training period wearing peasant sandals,” the veteran recalled.
With his death, Bacău loses one of the last direct witnesses of a dramatic chapter in Romania’s modern history.
The representatives of the 95th Air Base paid tribute to the veteran, expressing their gratitude for the sacrifices made during the war.
“We will carry eternal gratitude for embodying the ideals you defended with so many sacrifices,” the air base representatives said.
They also expressed their condolences to Ion Rusu’s grieving family and paid tribute to the veteran, whom they described as a patriotic soul.
Lieutenant Colonel (ret.) Ion Rusu was 104 years old. His life remained closely connected to one of the most difficult periods in Romania’s history, and his memories offered a direct account of the experiences of the young soldiers who lived through World War II.
May his journey toward eternal light be peaceful.
