Longtime Tallulah resident Rufus Puckett turned 99 years old Monday, but thanks to the many lives he has touched over the years, the World War II hero and well-known family man has been celebrating with friends and relatives now for days.
From a surprise party over the weekend, to local groups coming together to improve his home, to a formal gathering Monday at the Madison Voluntary Council on Aging (MVCOA) - where Puckett received a key to the city and a proclamation declaring August 8 "Rufus Puckett Day" in Tallulah - the festivities have been ongoing since last week.
Monday, friends, family members and community leaders gathered at the MVCOA to pay tribute to Puckett's life, which includes an illustrious military record during World War II, when he, among other feats, fought in the Battle of the Bulge.
Prior to Monday’s event, members of the Southern Heritage Air Foundation, located at the Vicksburg-Tallulah Regional Airport, along with Seven Days for the Troops, came together to build a deck and ramp at Puckett’s home. Saturday, the community and Puckett’s relatives were together again for a surprise birthday party ahead of Monday’s formal ceremony, where Puckett received a key to the city of Tallulah from Mayor Charles Finlayson and the official proclamation declaring August 8 “Rufus Puckett Day” in the city.
Puckett, who was born in 1923 and grew up in what is now known as Allen, Miss., later moved to Tallulah, where he has become a longtime resident. Puckett joined the United States Army during World War II and went on to receive the World War II Medal, The Army of Occupation Medal and the American Campaign Medal.
During Monday’s ceremony, Puckett was joined by his many children and grandchildren, many of whom traveled from across the country to be part of his birthday celebration.
