Although he held many positions of great authority, Ted Bassett treated everyone with uncompromising integrity. He was as comfortable with royalty as he was with a Keeneland stable hand. He willingly accepted responsibilities throughout his military, public and professional careers, while motivating others to follow his lead. For those of us who were privileged to work with him on veterans centered projects, he frequently set the bar quite high but always provided the necessary leadership and encouragement for success. His frequent exhortation to “Hold High the Torch” (motto of the 4th Marine Regiment, with which he served in combat,) was much more than a colorful expression of patriotism, but a challenge to all to strive for excellence in all that we do.  

By his 23^rd birthday, Ted Bassett had endured the rigors of Marine Corps recruit training at Parris Island, South Carolina and officer candidate school at Quantico, Virginia, both of which he would need, as he led his infantry platoon ashore on the Japanese island of Okinawa, in what was to be the climactic battle of World War II. On the morning of April 15, 1945, as he led his platoon in a probing operation of concealed Japanese defenses, Ted Bassett was targeted by an enemy sniper, whose errant shot found his right hand. Several minutes later, he was hit by mortar fragments in his right knee. Twice wounded, he was subsequently evacuated to a field hospital in Saipan and was later reunited with his unit in Guam. With the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, World War II essentially came to an end, although Japan had yet to surrender. Ted Bassett and his Marines were among the first Americans to occupy Japan in anticipation of a formal surrender.

Following his military service, Ted Bassett accepted the challenge of leading and ultimately transforming the Kentucky State Police into the professional, disciplined, law enforcement agency it is today. Applying leadership principles learned during his service with the Marine Corps, Ted Bassett personally engaged with troopers, learned of their aspirations, enhanced their training, and provided them with the necessary support and direction for success while serving and protecting their fellow Kentuckians. Faced with what has become a critical issue in our nation today, the Kentucky State Police, under the courageous leadership of Ted Bassett, successfully diffused racially charged potentially explosive situations. Under his guidance and encouragement, Trooper Island was established at Dale Hollow Lake to provide, without fees, a week-long recreational experience for underprivileged children primarily from urban areas of Kentucky. As morale soared, Ted Bassett parlayed the highly visible gray cruisers and gray uniforms of the Kentucky State Police into what he referred to as the “thin gray line,” separating law from lawlessness in Kentucky. Today, the Kentucky State Police remains a lasting legacy of Ted Bassett’s dedicated public service to the people of Kentucky.  

Throughout his life, Ted Bassett was committed to excellence, not only as a public servant, but also as a corporate executive. Despite his numerous responsibilities with the Keeneland Association, where he took a lead role in the establishment of a world class Thoroughbred racing facility enjoyed by thousands of his fellow Kentuckians, he enthusiastically embraced charitable and civic projects for the benefit of others, whenever called upon. Within his own community, Ted Bassett championed public support for the YMCA, Junior Achievement, the Kentucky Blood Center, Central Kentucky Heart and Stroke Association, the Kentucky Horse Park, and the rescue of the priceless Calumet Farm trophies, for the enjoyment of generations to come. Driven by his World War II experiences and his compassion for those wounded or maimed in combat, Ted Bassett, in concert with the late David A. Jones, Co-Founder of the Humana Corporation, embraced the charitable work of the nationally recognized Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, through a highly successful 2008 “Salute to the Legends of the Corps,” establishing a statewide legacy of exceptional benevolence, which continues to thrive today. 

His exemplary service to the military community was duly recognized by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society with its Distinguished Citizen Award (2011), the Marine Corps University Foundation with its Semper Fidelis Award (1990), and the Department of the Navy/Commandant of the Marine Corps with its Superior Public Service Award (2007). Combining his love for horses and Marines, Ted Bassett championed the placement of a beautiful bronze statue at the Kentucky Horse Park, honoring the legendary valor of “Sergeant Reckless,” a small former racehorse, who fought alongside Marines in the Korean War. His benevolence to his Marine heritage was duly acknowledged on November 10, 2006, when he was recognized by the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation as a “Founder” of the National Museum of the Marine Corps at Triangle, Virginia. His many achievements during his long corporate partnership with the Keeneland Association at Lexington, Kentucky culminated in his 2019 induction into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, as having made extraordinary contributions to Thoroughbred racing at the highest national level.   

Although Ted Bassett’s long and accomplished life encompassed many Marine Corps values, it is the personal quality of “Honor” that he treasured most. In a prayerful reflection from the past, he reaches out to all of us to remind us that “it is important to have honor, for it is honor that helps you stand by people when they are in trouble or need; it is honor that will make you a loyal person; it is honor that makes you help people when you are really too busy; when you are really too tired and too distracted, and when no one else will even know or credit you with helping.”

 During his lifetime, Ted Bassett touched many lives. Although he has left us, his influence will live on, not only in the charitable actions of individuals, but also within the organizations he helped to shape. We will continue to honor his memory by pursuing individual happiness as he has taught us – “Emphasize service above self, embrace the spirit of caring for others, and follow the true instincts of your heart.”