Hope for the wounded

WWII nurse received Bronze Star, witnessed surrender ceremony

By Faith Anderson

Born on the Lee family farm north of Starbuck, Minn., Ruth (Lee) Veum grew up with the values of hard work and compassion woven into everyday life. Driven by a calling to care for others, she became a nurse, and during World War II joined the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. Deploying to the front lines in the Pacific Theater, Ruth provided care in the chaos of battle. Her bravery earned her a Bronze Star, and she rose to the rank of Captain, a testament to her dedication and valor.

Ruth (Lee) Veum of Starbuck, Minn., served in the US Nurse Corps during World War II. Contributed photo

When she was only seven years old, Ruth’s mother, Rannai Lee, died unexpectedly after the birth of her sister, Esther. That left their father, Tom Lee, to raise six children by himself. Ruth attended a one-room school two miles from the family farm, and after eighth grade she attended Starbuck High School, graduating in 1925.

She received her medical training at the Kahler School of Nursing in Rochester, Minn. Even then, with a population of 12,000, Rochester was a healthcare hotspot with several hospitals, clinics, and a training school for nurses. Ruth worked as a student nurse in both obstetrics and pediatrics. After completing nurses training, she worked in several hospitals and then took a job as an assistant supervisor at the hospital in Glenwood. From there, she went on to serve as a private duty nurse in Pope County and later became the caregiver for her father, Tom Lee, and her sister, Caroline Finstad, until their deaths.

In 1943, after the United States had already entered WWII, Ruth joined the Army Nurse Corps, received her commission as a second Lieutenant and began her basic training at Camp McCoy in Wisconsin.

Military records from the 1940s are limited, but one of Ruth’s nephews, Wayne Veum from St. Paul, found a well-documented biography of another Minnesota nurse, Hortense E. McKay, whose military service was similar to that of his aunt. From that biography the family has learned significant history about the paths and exceptional responsibilities of Army nurses during WWII. 

“We are very fortunate to have this biography of another truly heroic nurse who survived the horrific battles of Bataan in 1942,” said Wayne.

Another nephew, Ron Lee who currently lives in Rhode Island, has finished a draft of a book about his Aunt Ruth. Recently, he received Ruth’s personnel folder from the U.S. Army and is processing and comparing that information to other data he has. His book is entitled: The Life of Army Nurse Ruth Miriam Lee: Loving, Listening, Giving and Caring. He wrote the following statement about his aunt:

Ruth was a person and a nurse that people and patients trusted. She was generous, dedicated, and very knowledgeable and competent as a nurse. Yet she could be entertaining and funny. Patients enjoyed having her come into their room as a nurse. She had the ability to help people feel better and more positive. She had open ears and eyes for all patients and wasn’t afraid to hold someone’s hand or hug them for comfort. Ruth’s success as a nurse happened because of her ability to focus on each patient, watch their behaviors closely, listen to what they said…

The extent of Ruth’s wartime service took place in New Guinea and the Philippine Islands from 1943 until 1947. History tells us that the day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor (Dec. 7, 1941) they also bombed the Philippine Islands, destroying two-thirds of the U.S. aircraft at Clark Field on Luzon, the largest island of the group.

Cabatuan Airfield, Cabatuan, Iloilo, Panay Island, Philippines on September 2, 1945. Representing the Army Nurses Corps, Ruth Lee took part in one of the major surrenders of WWII. This historic event was the same day as the surrender was signed aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Japan. Ruth is in the front of the crowd standing behind the rope. She’s the shorter person with dark hair and sunglasses.  Permission of photo given by Ronnie Miravite Casalmir

At times, nurses serving in the Philippines worked under extremely difficult conditions in mobile Army hospitals under canvas tents that were usually set up near the front lines. It is surmised by Ruth’s family that she also served aboard the 126th General Hospital Ship that came from the battle of New Guinea to assist with conflicts in the Philippines. After the hospital ship arrived, they were joined by over 70 U.S. nurses who had been freed from the Japanese internment camp in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. The Japanese had overpowered the U.S. troops in Manila and set up a prison camp there. Nurses from that camp had been captured in 1942 and were eventually freed in 1945. They became known in U.S. history as the Angels of Bataan. It’s likely that Ruth served closely with those nurses during her time in the Philippines.

The battle for the Philippines dragged on and U.S. casualties mounted at the hands of the Japanese army’s 250,000 troops. U.S. nurses were rotated from the large hospital ship to the small temporary field hospitals so that they could be closer to the crucial needs on the front lines. These field hospitals were like urgent care clinics for the wounded. Men were treated and returned to action within days. In addition to treating injuries from battle, Army nurses also treated soldiers afflicted by malaria, typhoid, hook worm, dysentery, and skin infections.

In his research regarding his aunt’s service, Wayne Veum included a story first told to him by his Aunt Ruth. The incident happened at a field hospital where she was serving:

In this large canvas tent field hospital, nurse Ruth Lee was the nurse in charge of the other nurses. Apparently, there was a large sick call that day and she and her staff were literally overwhelmed with ‘walking wounded’ soldiers seeking medical attention. However, no sooner had the clinic opened, it seemed like the entire ground around them blew up from mortar rounds and soon a large group of Japanese soldiers came charging out of the jungle with bayonets down and swords and flags waiving.  Although initially taken by surprise, it didn’t take long for the fully-armed ‘walking wounded’ to beat off the attack.

Peder and Ruth (Lee) Veum met when Nurse Ruth tended to Peder as a patient at the Starbuck Hospital. They dated and were married several years later at Indherred Lutheran Church in Starbuck, where Ruth had been confirmed as a youth. Contributed photo

He went on to tell that when the mortar round landed near her, Nurse Ruth had been registering and assigning soldiers to triage. Because she was sitting near medical equipment and baggage, keeping a low profile, she avoided being badly injured. However, the force of the blast was so intense that she suffered a concussion. As she regained her composure and the ringing in her ears decreased, she inspected the field hospital and discovered that not one of her soldier patients had been further injured by the blast. The troops were so moved by her bravery that they gave Nurse Ruth the regimental flag and sword which had been carried by the Japanese officer during the attack.

Nephew Wayne noted, “The demand on the medical staff at the 126th General Hospital continued without let up, and nurse Ruth Lee continued with her duties as a Captain after some time to recuperate.” He added, “There is no indication however, that she ever returned to field hospital staffing.”

WWII ended in 1945, but because the war was fought in many places, there were several surrender ceremonies held. On Sept. 2, 1945, a formal surrender ceremony was held at Cabatuan Airfield in Panay, Philippines. Ruth Lee was asked to be there to represent the U.S. Army Corps of Nurses and to witness the surrender of the Japanese Imperial Army.

In the spring of 1947 at the age of 43, Ruth Lee was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army because of a middle ear condition known as otosclerosis, which may have been caused by the impact of the mortar blast she endured.

Although she must have had many stories to tell, Ruth didn’t often speak of her WWII service as a front-line nurse. One person she did chat with was Kathy Veum, Wayne’s wife, who herself was a registered nurse. The two spoke of the mental toll Ruth suffered after being in a war zone and surviving life-threatening attacks while attempting to save the precious lives of her country’s soldiers.

Ruth Lee Veum’s final resting place is at the 436-acre Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis. Contributed photo

After leaving the Army, Ruth provided private nursing services in Pope County. One summer she was called to Peters Sunset Beach Resort on Lake Minnewaska near Glenwood. A family from Texas was on holiday at the resort when the family’s grandmother suffered a serious heart attack. Ruth took care of her, and when the family traveled back to their home in Texas, Ruth went with them and continued to care for the woman.

Ruth eventually returned to Minnesota and served as the superintendent of nurses at a 20-bed hospital in Starbuck, her hometown. She worked with five registered nurses, four nurses’ aides, and two maids. While fulfilling her duties there, she tended to a patient named Peder Veum, a farmer from Cyrus who was recovering from surgery. Several years later, the two married and then moved to St. Paul where he worked as a beef herdsman for the University of Minnesota.

Captain Ruth Lee Veum died in 1994, leaving behind a legacy of courage, compassion, and quiet strength. As a WWII U.S. Army Nurse, she devoted herself to caring for others in some of the most demanding circumstances. Her commitment was reflected in the Bronze Star and Army uniform displayed with pride at her funeral. Surrounded by family and friends, she was honored for a life of service before being laid to rest with full military honors at Fort Snelling Cemetery in Minneapolis, joining more than 200,000 fellow heroes who served their country with dignity and devotion.

NOTE: The book The Life of Army Nurse Ruth Miriam Lee by Ronald T. Lee will be available on Amazon soon. The book is part of a series called Norwegian Mountains to Minnesota Farmland.  The first two volumes of the series are now available at the Starbuck Depot and Museum in Starbuck, the Glenwood Public Library, and the Pope County Museum in Glenwood.