Lt. Col. (Retired) Russell A. Eno

Lt. Col. (Retired) Russell A. Eno, 82, of Columbus, GA, passed away on December 29, 2024, at Columbus Hospice surrounded by family.

Funeral services will be held 11:00 AM, Saturday, January 4, 2024 in the chapel of McMullen Funeral Home and Crematory. A rosary will be held  5:00 PM, Friday, January 3, 2024 with a visitation following until 7:00 PM at the funeral home, 3874 Gentian Blvd. Columbus, GA 31907.

Russ was born on September 9, 1942, in Exeter, N.H., son of the late Ernest and Eileen Eno. After graduating the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts in German, he received his commission as an Infantry officer in the U.S. Army through UNH’s Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program. He then attended the Infantry Officer Basic Course and Ranger Course before serving as a platoon leader in the 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment. In 1968, upon graduating from the Military Assistance Training Advisor (MATA) Sector Unit Course at the JFK Special Warfare Center, he was assigned to the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) as an advisor to two Vietnamese regional force rifle companies during Tet '68 and '69 in the Mekong Delta, Ba Xuyen Province. Other assignments during his 24 and a half years of service include serving as a recruiting officer in Montgomery, Ala; Assistant Professor of German at the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.; G5, 1st Armored Division, Germany; executive officer of 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Germany; Chief of Communicative Skills, U.S. Army Infantry School; and Chief of the Logistics Plans Cell, King Khalid Military City, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait City, during Desert Shield/Desert Storm. His decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal with one service star, the Vietnam Service Medal with three service stars, Army Service Ribbon, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, and Parachutist Badge. Russ had also attended graduate courses at the University of Mainz in Germany and earned his Master of Arts in German Literature from Middlebury College in Vermont in addition to attending the Army’s Command and General Staff College.

After retiring from active duty, Russ became Editor of Infantry Magazine, the professional bulletin of the U.S. Army Infantry, in January 1992. Over the next 32 years, Russ shared his enthusiasm for professional writing while mentoring hundreds of authors and publishing more than 130 issues of the branch journal before retiring in early 2024. During his retirement ceremony, he was awarded the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal and the Order of St. Maurice (Centurion). A master communicator and long-time educator, he also served as a part-time professor of German at Columbus State University from 1987-2023.

Until recent years, Russ had been an active member of St. Anne’s Catholic Church and enjoyed serving as an usher. His many hobbies included reading, fishing, hunting, canoeing, astronomy, as well as fossil and mineral collecting. His true joy in life, however, was his family, especially his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Russ will be remembered for his generosity, remarkable storytelling abilities, and quick wit, leaving a lasting impression on all those who knew him.

Russ was preceded in death by his parents Ernest and Eileen Eno. Survivors include his former wife of 35 years Libby Wells; children, Anne Elisabeth Eno of Northport, Ala., and Mary Catherine Blaschke (Ron) of Phenix City, Ala.; grandchildren, Morgan Elisabeth Gaspard (Jonathan), Nicholas Capo (Camryn), Thomas Capo, Joseph and Edward Yessick, and Austin, Amelia, and Madison Blaschke; and great grandchildren, Lakin, Jenna, Holden, and Callahan. The family would like to extend special thanks to his deputy editor Michelle Rowan for the love and support she provided over the years.

A special thank you to Sheila and the staff at Thrive at Green Island for their care and assistance in his final year.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers please donate to the Wounded Warrior Project or the Gary Sinise Foundation.