I am sad to say that United States Marine and writer Martin Russ (Breakout, The Last Parallel, Showdown Semester: Advice from a Writing Professor), whom I met and interviewed about his experiences during the Korean War, died on Monday at his home in Napa Valley, according to the New York Times, which linked to my interview with Mr. Russ in its obituary.
The interview is one of my most memorable experiences.
I had wanted to honor the memory of those (including my father) who fought in the Korean War for the war’s 50th anniversary and I sought an interview with the author of some of the most respected and bestselling accounts of the war. After I persuaded him that my intentions were honorable, he agreed to meet. I traveled to his home in northern California, where we met and talked for hours. He was honest and straightforward about war, General MacArthur and a forecast that Communist North Korea would once again invade South Korea (as they had in 1950). Martin Russ, a writer who was deep and thoughtful, was 79. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, three children and two grandchildren.