Corporal Carl Wesley Rush, U.S. Army Air Forces [April 23, 1921 – July 1, 1943*] was born to Eugene Thomas Rush [January 24, 1875 – November 19, 1954] and Sallie (Pearson) Rush [July 30, 1888 – May 15, 1980] in Matagorda County, Texas.  After graduating from Markham High School c.1937/38 he enlisted in the U.S. Army on July 18, 1938 and then re-enlisted in the Army for foreign service in 1940. He sailed for the Philippine Islands on April 27, 1940 and was attached to the 20^th Air Base Group at Nichols Field, a subordinate unit to Clark which was part of the Far East Air Force (FEAF), which was the predecessor of the 5^th Air Force. Initially FEAF included aircraft and personnel of the Philippine Army Air Corps, and it was largely destroyed during the Battle of the Philippines (1941 – 42).  FEAF transferred to bases in Australia in late December 1941, and nearly all the ground and flying personnel, numbering nearly 7,000 men, were then used as ad hoc infantry units** in the defense of the Bataan Peninsula between January 7^th and April 9^th 1942. When the order came to retreat into Bataan, Carl was already at Bataan Field, an airstrip at the southern part of the Peninsula. On January 7^th the Provisional Air Corps Regiment was formed by combining elements of the different Air Corps units into a cohesive infantry unit consisting of two battalions. Carl’s unit, 20^th Air Base Group, was assigned to the 1^st battalion.  In its’ brief life, the Provisional Air Corps Regiment served on front line duty fighting the Japanese from inception to surrender. The bulk of the weary, starving and emaciated American and Filipino survivors, after General E.P. King. Jr. surrendered to the Japanese on the morning of April 9^th, perished individually during the ensuing three and a half years of Japanese captivity. Carl survived the Bataan Death March, a hellish train ride that was similar to the Jews being deported to the concentration camps in Europe, the holdover at Camp O’Donnell with all of its suffering and deprivation, and was finally  interned at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp (concentration camp) where he succumbed to the deprivation and disease that was rampant at the prison. He was first interred near the prison, then transferred to the United States Armed Forces Cemetery, Manila #2, Philippine Islands. After his parents requested his remains be returned to the United States for burial, he was transferred to the Memphis National Cemetery, Memphis, TN c.1948/49. At the time of his death he was survived by his parents:  E. T. and Sallie; one sister: Mrs. Jennie Condra of Houston; and five brothers:  Milton in the U.S. Marine Corps, Lewis in the U.S. Air Corps, Joe of San Antonio, Eugene of Freeport and L.C. of Markham.

* The Japanese government did not give the exact date of his death; through the International Red Cross and the U.S. War Department his date of death was placed on or about July 1, 1943.

**Military basic training introduces all incoming personnel to the fundamental concepts of infantry procedures.

MARKHAM YOUTH DIES IN
JAPANESE PRISON CAMP

Mr. and Mrs. E. T. Rush of Markham have been notified by the United States War Department of the death of their son, Cpl. Carl P. Rush, in a Japanese prison camp in the Philippines Islands.

Memorial services will be held Tuesday at 2:30 p.m., in the Baptist church at Markham.

Cpl. Rush finished his high school course at Markham and enlisted in the U. S. Army before this country entered the war. He was one of the brave men who fought to the last ditch in the Philippines and was taken prisoner at the fall of Corregidor.

[Newspaper name and date unknown]
 

MEMORIAL RITES FOR CPL. CARL RUSH HELD IN MARKHAM

Memorial services for Cpl. Carl P. Rush, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. T. Rush of Markham, were held at the Markham Baptist church Tuesday, September 7, the Rev. Mr. Keen, pastor of the Methodist church, and the Rev. Mr. Black, pastor of the Baptist church, officiating.

Corporal Rush was reported dead in a Japanese prison camp in the Philippines on September 2. Although reports from the Japanese government did not name the exact date of his death, through the International Red Cross and the U. S. War Department it has been placed on or about July 1, 1943.

After the fall of Corregidor, he was listed among the missing and later his parents learned that he was in the prison camp in the Philippines.

Carl P. Rush was born April 23, 1921. He enlisted in the United States Army July 18, 1938, and re-enlisted for foreign service in 1940. He sailed for the Philippine Islands April 27, 1940.

Besides his parents he is survived by one sister, Mrs. Jennie Condra of Houston, and five brothers: Milton of the U. S. Marines, Lewis of the U. S. Air Corps, Joe of San Antonio, Eugene of Freeport and L. C. of Markham.                              

Matagorda County Tribune, September 9, 1943

[Cpl. Rush was first interred in the USAF Cemetery, Manila #2, Philippines Island and later reinterred at Memphis National Cemetery in Memphis Tennessee.]
 

Photo courtesy of Find A Grave Volunteer Carole McCaig #46785778
 

Information from the WWII POW Database in the National Archives.
 

Funeral Services Are Held Sunday
For Eugene Rush

The Rev. W. J. Clements conducted funeral services for Eugene Rush Sunday afternoon at the Baptist Church in Markham. Mr. Rush passed away suddenly at his home Friday.

He is survived by five sons, Eugene and L. C. of Markham, Louis of Bay City, Milton of California, and Joe of San Antonio. One daughter, Mrs. Jennie Rush Condree of Houston; one brother and three sisters, and 13 grandchildren.

Mr. Rush came from Mississippi when he was 17 years of age, and settled with his parents near Wharton. He was nearing his eightieth birthday, and was active up until the time of his death.

November 22, 1954

HOGUE
 

Sallie Hogue, 91, of Houston, died May 15 in Houston. Survivors include: daughter Jennie Condra of Houston; sons, L. C. and Eugene Thomas Rush of Markham, Milton Rush of Los Angeles and Louis of Ingleside; 16 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. The funeral will be held at Taylor Brothers Funeral Home Chapel May 17 at 10 a.m. with the Rev. Joe Ramsey officiating. Interment will follow at Hawley Cemetery. Arrangements are made with Taylor Brothers Funeral Home.

The Daily Tribune, May 16, 1980

Pictures of Cpl. Rush courtesy of L. C. Rush. L. C. Rush, Jr. & Louis Kopnicky.

Special thanks to Federico Baldassarre of the Battling Bastards of Bataan who supplied information on the service of Corporal Rush.
 

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