Madisonville Soldier to be Buried

By Casey Northcutt

Madisonville, Ky – Madisonville residents are preparing for the funeral a Hopkins County soldier who died in combat in Iraq. The Madisonville Messenger reports more than 1,000 miniature American flags had been picked up to wave along the route of the funeral procession for Sgt. William Patrick Rudd tomorrow. Today, Gov. Steve Beshear ordered flags at all state buildings be lowered to half-staff in honor of Rudd. The 27-year-old Army Ranger died Oct. 5 after soldiers came under small-arms fire in Mosul, Iraq. Rudd belonged to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Regiment of Fort Benning, Ga. Visitation began Tuesday afternoon at First Baptist Church in Madisonville, where Rudd's funeral will be conducted tomorrow morning.