Legacy Of James Earl Rudder

5 Pages 1243 Words

The Legacy of James Earl Rudder
James Earl Rudder, soldier, land commissioner, and president of Texas A&M, was born on May 6, 1910, at Eden, Texas. He went to Texas A&M in 1930 and graduated in 1932 with a degree in industrial education. In 1933 Rudder worked as a football coach and teacher at Brady High School. He married Margaret E. Williamson on June 12, 1937, with whom he had five children. These sound like the characteristics of the traditional American man, don’t they? All of these are certainly descriptions of Mr. Rudder; however, the most memorable description would undoubtedly be as lieutenant colonel commander and trainer of the Second Ranger Battalion during World War II. It was this part of Rudder that established his name as one of America’s greatest leaders and war heroes. In a search for the perfect leader, few would make a list lacking his name, and when looking for a model for future leaders, who better than the man who successfully led the most important mission in World War II.
The story, in short, happened as such: At approximately 4:30 a.m. on the morning of 6 June 1944 the Rangers set out for their objective. The small flotilla of British assault landing craft, loaded down with 225 men of the U.S. 2nd Ranger Battalion, approached the cliffs of Normandy. Fifteen Rangers were killed or wounded during the struggle through the rough surf, and the dash across the heavily cratered narrow beach. The fighting, the bleeding, and the dying on the Normandy beaches had begun. The D-Day Ranger Force of two battalions, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James Earl Rudder, a former football coach and rancher of Brady, Texas, had a special mission on the right flank (western anchor) of Omaha Beach. Three companies of the 2nd Ranger Battalion were to scale the 100 foot high cliffs in an isolated action three miles west of the main landings, and take a heavily fortified battery position at the "Pointe du Hoc". One compan...