Kermit Lyle Tussey was born in 1936 in Ashville, Kentucky. Shortly thereafter he moved to Cynthiana, Kentucky where he lived the rest of his life. He was married to Evelyn Cobb Tussey, and had two sons - David Alan and Richard Lyle.
Kermit enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1944 and was assigned to a B-24 Liberator squadron in the South Pacific. His airplane was called "Lucky Lady". He flew approximately 100 combat missions to various island targets in 1944-45. During the Korean War he was recalled to active duty, and served a 7-month tour at Kindley Air Base in Bermuda as part of the "1st Air Rescue Squadron", where he was an aircrewman on the SB-17G.
Kermit later owned a local lumber yard and became a private pilot in 1966, purchasing a Piper Cherokee for personal use. Unfortunately, in October 1967, Kermit suffered a fatal heart attack while flying with his family near Frankfort, Kentucky. His son, David, successfully landing the aircraft despite the absence of any formal flight instruction. David later went on to become a Navy pilot.

Kermit had a great love for flying and life, and made many happy trips with his family to aviation museums and air shows.