Volney Higdon Rattan

1916 - 2019

Volney Higdon Rattan died on 1 January 2019 in Williamsburg, Virginia at the impressive age of 102 years. He was two and half months shy of his 103rd birthday. Born in 1916, Volney grew up in Dallas, Texas. He was drafted into the US Army as an enlisted man and became an officer in the Medical Service Corps thru Officer Candidate School in December 1941. During World War II he served in Paris, France as the administrative officer for the 108th General Hospital, where he met wife, Frances A. Eddy. They were married in July, 1945 in Marseilles, France and were on a ship that was preparing to invade Japan when World War II ended in August 1945. After a short career with Socony Vacuum Oil Company in Venezuela in 1945-1946, he re-entered the Medical Service Corps at Langley Field, Virginia. He had follow-on assignments in Schenectady, New York; St. Louis, Missouri; Tokyo, Japan; Washington, D.C.; La Rochelle, France; Ft. Lee, Virginia; Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the recipient of the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star. He rose in the ranks to Colonel by the time he retired in 1971. Volney and his wife Frances retired in Williamsburg, VA in 1971, living for many years near the College of William and Mary, and the last several years at Williamsburg Landing. Volney Rattan was active within the Order of Founders and Patriots for several years. He was a past Deputy Governor General, past Secretary General of the Order and past Governor of the Virginia Society. His wife, Frances, passed away in 2015. He is survived by his two sons, CT and Richard. Volney will be honored with a full military funeral ceremony at Arlington National Ceremony. He was a good man, dedicated soldier, superb husband to his wife, Frances, and just the greatest Dad there ever was. We will love him always.