Emile Richard Ouellette

OUELLETTE, EMILE “RICK” Love for his family and love of his country is the legacy of Emile Richard Ouellette, age 86 who passed away Sunday May 28, 2017. Born September 17, 1930, and raised in Fort Kent, Maine, Rick began his Air Force military career in 1948 serving in the U.S., Japan Marshall Islands, Germany, Italy, and the Philippines. In November 1950 Rick was assigned to Project Greenhouse, a nuclear test pilot in the Marshall Islands of Japan. Rick participated in conducting 4 nuclear bomb tests from the island of Enewetak to targets 25 miles away. During the 4th test shot a wind shift blew the atomic cloud back over the island where Rick and the U.S. soldiers were located resulting in significant atomic fallout and subsequent serious health problems for many of the participants involved including Rick. Rick commanded his own Guardpost in Korea along the heavily armed border with North Korea where U.S. soldiers were deployed. Guardpost Ouellette was the northernmost deployment of U.S. Forces in South Korea only 20 yards from the barbed wire demarcation line separating Communist run North Korea and Capitalist South Korea, a very dangerous place. Rick served there until the end of the Korean War in May 1953. After returning from Korea to Maine, Rick met his beautiful wife Lucille who were married on September 8, 1954, and had 4 children. Rick was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in 1971 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower for exemplary service in the U.S. Air Force Security Service. Rick retired from the Air Force in 1971 after 23 years of decorated military service. After retiring from the Military, Rick and Lucy moved to Orlando, FL where they continued to raise their family, and enjoy the fruits of their labor. Rick’s favorite pastime was flying planes, and he was an avid pilot of many types of small aircraft. Other hobbies Rick enjoyed was building or fixing things like cabins, porches, decks, storm windows, peacock pens, you name it Rick could build or fix it. In 1973 Rick began his 2nd career in Financials, and worked as an investment banker for 20 more years. Rick is survived by his wife Lucille Y. Ouellette; daughter Vera Strickland, and husband Glen Strickland, Madisonville, TN; son Don Ouellette, Tucson, AZ; son Dave Ouellette, and wife Tracey, Orlando, FL; son Dean Ouellette, wife Michelle, and grandsons, Steven Van Dyke; Cole Strickland, Madisonville, TN; Dylan “Lil’ Buddy” Ouellette; sister, Joyce Ouellette, St. Agatha, ME; brothers Don Ouellette, San Antonio, TX; Ray Ouellette, Huber Heights, OH.

Emile Richard Ouellette

September 17, 1930 - May 28, 2017