Alexander Bolling

ALEXANDER RUSSELL (â??BUDâ?) BOLLING, JR., passed away on October 6, 2011; he was born in Ft. McPherson, Georgia, on September 11, 1922, the son of the late Lt. General and Mrs. Alexander R. Bolling. Bud and his late wife, Fran, are survived by their: daughter, Kathryn Bolling; son and wife, Russ and Elaine Bolling; granddaughter and husband, Karen and Brian Ide; grandson and wife, Russ and Mackenzie Woodward; grandson and fiancée, Ryan Bolling and Glenda Romero; grandson, Tyler Bolling; granddaughter, Brooke Bolling; and great-grandchildren, Ethan and Lauren Ide. True to his sense of humor, he was known affectionately as â??Uncle Budâ? by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and will be deeply missed by his family and friends. He entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1940. Graduating in 1943, he crossed Utah Beach in France in the summer of 1944 in command of an infantry platoon. Wounded and captured in January 1945, he escaped the following March and joined the 84th Infantry Division, finishing the war on the Elbe River as a Rifle Company Commander. Following six months of occupation in Germany, he was returned to West Point to teach German. The subsequent 28 years were characterized by assignments that would prepare him for the highest public positions. Fluent in German and Portuguese and conversant in French, he served twice in Brazil, once in Taiwan, and twice in Vietnam. His schooling included the United States Military Academy, the Infantry School (where he also served as a Tactics Instructor), the Command & General Staff College, and the Army War College. He served twice on the Army General Staff and led troops at every level of command commensurate with his rank. In 1968, while commanding the 3rd Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division, he was ordered to deploy immediately with his entire unit to Vietnam to counter the North Vietnamese Tet offensive. During this combat service, he was promoted to Brigadier General, only to receive another promotion to Major General in less than two years. In 1973, after more than 30 years of service to his country, Bud retired and settled with his beloved wife in Dallas. Never inactive, he immediately became an Executive with a K-Mart Corporation subsidiary and subsequently developed a computer service company for physicians, which entered the public arena in the 1980â??s. In 1985, he retired again and devoted his time to writing and publishing, to his church, to service in several academic, philanthropic, and patriotic organizations, and to his family. Recognition of his accomplishments was manifold. Military decorations included two Distinguished Service Medals, three Legions of Merit, two Silver Stars for gallantry in combat, three Bronze Stars for valor, 18 Air Medals, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantry Badge with Star, the U.S., Vietnamese, and Brazilian parachute badges, and a number of foreign decorations. Additionally, he received numerous awards for his civic service to the many communities with which he had been involved. Despite all of this, Bud always said that his only desire was described in a line from his West Point Alma Mater: â??And when our work is done, our course on earth is run, may it be said â??Well done!! Be thou at peace.â? For Memorial and Inurnment Services information, contact J.T. Morriss & Son Funeral Home in Petersburg, VA at 804-733-8511 or go to www.jtmorriss.com ; search for Bolling, Alexander R. Jr. under Obituaries. (Directions to Memorial and Inurnment Services are included). In lieu of flowers, it is requested that a donation be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association ( www.lbda.org ).


Directions Below are from Richmond Internatinal Airport to Christ and Grace Episcopal Church:
1. Start out going northwest on Richard E Byrd Terminal Dr.

2. Turn slight right.

3. Turn slight right onto S Airport Dr.

4. Turn left onto US-60/VA-156/Williamsburg Rd. Continue to follow US-60/Williamsburg Rd.

5. Turn left onto S Laburnum Ave.

6. Merge onto VA-895 W/Pocahontas Pky toward I-95/VA-150 (Portions toll).

7. Merge onto I-95 S toward Petersburg.

8. Take the Washington St exit, EXIT 52, toward US-301 N.

9. Turn slight right onto E Washington St/US-460-BR W.

10. Take the 3rd left onto S Sycamore St.

11. 1545 S SYCAMORE ST( Christ and Grace Episcopal Churhc) is on the left.

Below are driving directions from Christ and Grace Episcopal Church to Blandford Cemetery:

1. Start out going southeast on S Sycamore St toward Ivy Ln.

2. Turn left onto Claremont St.

3. Turn left onto S Crater Rd/US-301 N.

4. Blandford Cemetery is on the right.