♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

☆☆☆～ World War II Veteran ～☆☆☆

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Edwin W. "Skip" Rue, age 94, Tremont Avenue, Lexington, KY, husband of Frances True Brown Rue, died Sunday, November 28, 2004 at the University of Kentucky Medical Center.

Born May 31, 1910, he was the son of the late Insco W. Rue Sr. and Charlotte Forbes Rue.

He was one of the last seven surviving members of the Kentucky National Guard Unit from Harrodsburg in the Bataan Death March during World War II having received the rank of Major. He survived the Bataan Death March and three and one-half years as a Prisoner of War of the Japanese after which he received the Bronze Star. He was former owner and operator of the Rue Hardware Store on Main Street in Harrodsburg and a former salesman for C.Worth in Lexington.

Survivors in addition to his wife include two daughters: Linda (Jacob Poons) Rue Allen, New York, NY and Joan (Marc Schlackman) Rue, Lexington; two brothers, Leslie Rue, Harrodsburg and Rev. Clarence Rue, Amarillo, TX.; one sister, Aileen Doehler, Littleton, CO; and two granddaughters, Sara Rue Livingston, Los Angeles, CA. and Leah Emily Schlackman, Lexington. He was preceded in death by three brothers, Frank, Insco II, and Arch Rue; five sisters, Lorraine Rue, Lois Reed, Zoe Anna Overstreet, Eula Lee Ison, and Elsie McMurtry, and one grandson, Edwin Brown Allen.

Funeral services will be conducted 2:00 pm Wednesday, December 1st at the Ransdell Funeral Chapel by Dr. Don Chase. Burial will be in the Spring Hill Cemetery with Military Honors.

Visitation will be from 12:00 noon Wednesday until the hour of service at the chapel.

The family will receive friends at his residence at 850 Tremont Avenue in Lexington on Tuesday from 4:00 pm until 6:00 pm.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the Disabled American Veterans.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Notes:

Edwin served with the 192nd Tank Battalion. The 192nd and 194th Tank Battalions defended the Philippines against the Imperial Japanese Invasion in what was America's first tank engagement of World War II. Overwhelmed, the 192nd and 194th covered the retreat to the Bataan Peninsula. They defended the air field, the beaches, and provided support to the Infantry. On 8 Apr 1942, the tank units received codeword "Crash", which was an order to destroy their remaining Stuart tanks. On 9 Apr 1942, American and Filipino forces on Bataan were compelled to surrender. The infamous Bataan Death March followed.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥