James Earl Rudder
| James Earl Rudder | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
May 6, 1910 Eden, Texas |
| Died | March 23, 1970 (aged 59) Houston, Texas |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1941–1967 |
| Rank |
 Major general
|
| Battles/wars | Cold War |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Cross Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal (2) |
James Earl Rudder (May 6, 1910 – March 23, 1970) was the United States Army major general who as a lieutenant colonel was the commander of the historic Pointe du Hoc battle which was part of the Invasion of Normandy. He also at various times served as Texas Land Commissioner, the sixteenth president of Texas A&M University, third president of the Texas A&M University System, the mayor of Brady, Texas, and was a high school and college teacher and coach.
After graduation from Texas A&M, Rudder had been commissioned a second lieutenant of infantry in the United States Organized Reserve Corps. After being called into active duty in 1941, Rudder took part in the D-Day landings as Commanding Officer of the United States Army's 2nd Ranger Battalion.
His U.S. Army Rangers stormed the beach at Pointe du Hoc, scaling 100-foot (30 meter) cliffs under enemy fire to reach and destroy German gun batteries. The battalion's casualty rate for this perilous mission was greater than 50 percent. Rudder himself was wounded twice during the course of the fighting. In spite of this, they dug in and fought off German counter-attacks for two days until relieved. He and his men helped to successfully establish a beachhead for the Allied forces. The siege was replicated in the 1962 epic film The Longest Day.
Seven months later, Rudder was assigned to command the 109th Infantry Regiment, which saw key service in the Battle of the Bulge. Rudder earned military honors including the Distinguished Service Cross, Legion of Merit, Silver Star, Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, French Legion of Honor with Croix de Guerre and Palm, and Order of Leopold (Belgium) with Croix de Guerre and Palm. He was a full Colonel by the war's end and was promoted to Brigadier General of the United States Army Reserve in 1954 and Major General in 1957.
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