FORT BRAGG – Soldiers of the XVIII Airborne Corps, present and past, were among those Saturday paying homage to one of their own.
They forever will be a part of Gen. (Ret.) William “Buck” Kernan. Gen. (Ret.) William “Buck” Kernan forever will be a part of them.
“He just had a way of making every one of us feel special,” Col. (Ret.) John T. Whelahan Jr. was saying before this day of celebration for the life of Gen. Kernan at the 82nd Airborne Division Hall of Heroes on the most populated military base in the United States, and where Gen. Kernan once served as commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps. “The Army, the Department of War, will forever benefit from his selfless servant approach to leadership. I personally know of at least a dozen young officers that worked with him and rose to the three and four-star level by following his example.
“Those generals shaped countless others, and today there are tens of thousands who never met Gen. Buck Kernan, but who are modeling his leadership style of being a warrior while loving their soldiers like family.
“His legacy grows every generation,” Whelahan said, “because he modeled what right looks like.”
Gen. William “Buck” Kernan was a U.S. Army soldier and proud to be among the elite U.S. Army Rangers.
He lived by the Soldier’s Creed.
“He was the model, I believe, the Army used to capture our seven values and define what we expect soldiers to be,” Whelahan said. “Loyalty to his soldiers and our nation’s Constitution was always first on his mind. Duty was an obligation he cherished. He wanted the nation to know he and his unit were always ready to complete the mission. Respect was a cornerstone of who he was and what he expected. He didn’t care that it was a private or if a general walked up, he spoke to each of us the exact same — with respect and appreciation for who we were and what we volunteered to do with our lives.
“He was truly a selfless servant leader. He never worried if you would help or hurt him, he just looked to see what he could do to help make you a better Ranger, soldier and man.
“Honor and integrity were hallmarks of his character,” Whelahan said. “He constantly cultivated a climate of honorable service in the Rangers and other units he was in. And doing the right thing wasn’t an option; it was the only possibility. Personal courage went without saying. He was a Vietnam vet, and throughout his career led soldiers, paratroopers and Rangers into combat on multiple occasions.”
From the Vietnam War to command of the 75th Ranger Regiment during Operation Just Cause, Gen. William Kernan’s military career spanned from 1968 until 2002, when he retired.
Gen. Kernan even in retirement never ceased being a soldier, devoting himself to the Patriot Foundation advisory board in support of education scholarships and childcare services to families on Fort Bragg and at Fort Campbell (Kentucky) for those families who lost military spouses, were wounded or died in service to this country.
“His life story is one of remarkable service and leadership,” Col. Mary Ricks, director of public affairs with the XVIII Airborne Corps, said.
He also was an ambassador for the Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Foundation, which provides educational and career opportunities for soldiers who have suffered severe and lifelong wounds during service in Iraq or Afghanistan. He was an advisory member to the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center in Columbus, Ga., near Fort Benning.
“I had a long conversation with him in 1994, when he told me his story and shared some thoughts on leadership as I was becoming a young NCO (non-commissioned officer) leader,” Whelahan said. “He reminded me that it is an easy life in the Rangers. ‘You just have to live our Ranger Creed, and everything will work out.’ I took that to heart and have tried to do so every day.”
Like the Soldier’s Creed, the Ranger Creed equally was sacred to Gen. Kernan all of his military days and beyond.
“Rangers lead the way,” the creed reads, with a reminder that no Ranger leaves another Ranger behind.
Along Gen. Kernan’s military career way, he was commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps on Fort Bragg and later as Supreme Allied Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander – Atlantic.
‘His legacy’
Gen. William “Buck” F. Kernan died Sept. 2 at his Pinehurst home.
He was 79.
“The Airborne and Special Operations Forces communities lost one of its greatest leaders and advocates with the passing of Gen. William ‘Buck’ Kernan,” Lt. Gen. Greg Anderson, commanding general of the XVIII Airborne Corps, said. “He leaves behind a legacy of distinguished service to our nation and a deep commitment to soldiers and their families. We offer our sincerest condolences to his family as we mourn together.”
Retired Gen. Dan K. McNeill remembered Gen. Kernan as a military icon and a friend.
“Buck was a good warrior and an even better friend,” said McNeill, the four-star general who grew up in Duplin County and commanded the 82nd Airborne Division, the XVIII Airborne Corps, the U.S. Army Forces Command, the Coalition Forces, Afghanistan from 2002 to 2003 and the U.S. Army Forces Command from 2004 to 2007. “He could not walk into a room full of people without recognizing a host of friends and colleagues. And if he did not know someone there, he would be laughing and joking with them before he left the room. Well-trained, skillfully capable and highly professional soldiers wearing the uniforms of today’s American Army are both his credentials and legacy.”
Tommy Bolton of Pinehurst remembered Gen. Kernan for a distinguished military career, and as a neighbor.
“A great leader, a soldier’s soldier and a highly revered commander,” said Bolton, who is a former civilian aide to the Army for North Carolina. “He cared deeply about America, and even as much about the soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and their families in his command. He was highly regarded and respected as a neighbor and friend. When he retired and he and his wife made their home in Pinehurst, it became a treat to break bread with he and Marianne and share some memories.”
Epilogue
“Do I miss it?” the old soldier said almost 10 years ago in a Witness to War video interview reflecting on his decorated military career.
He said he missed the challenges, the people he served with and the excitement of simply being an American soldier.
“I missed doing something that is meaningful,” Gen. William “Buck” Kernan said. “It was a special time in my life. It was all about serving alongside a special people who were tremendous patriots, who had unique attributes, who were a microcosm of our society and came from all walks of life. But they came in here and they bonded unlike any other organization I’ve ever been in, and I was proud to be one of them.”
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
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