re: Former LSU Football Player Turned War Hero

Hello everyone, this is Jim Rathmann. I just wanted to send a message to all of you in response to this posting that I was recently informed of.

First and foremost, my family and I thank you all for the wonderful forum in my dedication with all of these amazing comments. I am truly humbled by the response and am blessed beyond belief. It is support like this which makes LSU and Baton Rouge the greatest place on earth! I was extremely fortunate to have played football for the best college football team in the land and to do so in front of the greatest fans this country has ever seen! It has been several years since I last put on an LSU uniform, yet the support and dedication from all of you is just as strong now as it was back then. To all of you that posted comments, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am touched and honored by your acts of kindness.

Since I departed from LSU, I put back on a different uniform that I was very familiar with. This uniform allowed me to once again join the ranks of the men and women in our armed forces. I have been and always will be proud to have served this country to the best of my abilities. I have had the privledge to command a strong and dedicated group of soldiers overseas in combat operations. Some of the soldiers that I have served with have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms and liberties that often get taken for granted. It is the men and women of our military, to include the continued sacrifices made by their families that are the true heroes of this country. Without them, Saturday nights in Death Valley would not be possible. To all of you that have served, have family members that have served or those that continue to serve in today's military, thank you for all that you do and for leading the way for people like me to follow.

Before I close out this thank you message, I want to give a special thank you to the University, LSU Athletics, TAF, Tigerdroppings.com and the millions of LSU fans around the world for making this journey the best ride of my life! I look forward to returning to Tiger Stadium this fall with my family. I hope to be able to meet each and everyone of you on my next visit. Once again, thank you and I will see you all this fall on a Saturday night in Death Valley! Geaux Tigers!


Truly Yours,


Jim Rathmann #3
2003 LSU Tigers - National Champions!

Jim. You are a true hero and a true badass. Thank you so much for all that you do and have done for us. Thank you.

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Young Bussey led LSU in rushing and passing in 1937 and in passing the next year. He had a promising future with the Chicago Bears of the NFL only to quit to join the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was killed in the Pacific Theater in 1945, the final year of the war.

More than two decades later, former LSU quarterback Trey Prather died while serving with the Marines in Vietnam. He stepped on a land mine and succumbed to his injuries in 1968.

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I salute you Tiger of Tigers!!

Jim, you set the bar damn high for future Tigers to follow. Football is just a game, but it does help to draw attention to those rare gems of society at times. This is one of those times.

Thank you