Colleagues Pay Tribute at Rusk Service
Dean Rusk, the secretary of state who helped lead America deeper into the Vietnam War, was buried Friday to a chorus of praise from colleagues for his willingness to shoulder blame for his actions.
Rusk died Tuesday of heart failure at age 85. He was buried in this college town, where he taught international law after serving under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.
Sen. Sam Nunn and Gov. Zell Miller were among several Georgia politicians who packed the First Presbyterian Church to honor their friend and colleague.
Before the service, Nunn said Rusk “wasn’t looking for credit and he always shouldered the blame” in times of crisis.
Rusk’s body was not at the service, at his request.
After the funeral, mourners went to Oconee Hill Cemetery for the burial on a muddy slope in a steady drizzle.
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