JOSEPH F. MUDD, LTCOL, USAF
Joseph Mudd '54
Lucky Bag
From the 1954 Lucky Bag:
Joseph Francis Mudd
Saginaw, Michigan
It wasn't until his senior year in high school that Joe's interest in the Academy found ground. It seems that his father happened to be speculating as to Joe's future one evening and casually mentioned the Academy in connection with a military career. A month later found him in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at Northwestern Prep. After nine months, he returned home to Saginaw, Michigan, his hailing ground, to graduate with his class at Saint Mary's High School. Another two months and he was on the Pennsylvania Red Arrow bound for Annapolis, and a Naval career. Joe's favorite pastimes besides good old rack time and dragging included golf, handball, football games, leave, and just about anything that can't be listed as studies.
HANDBALL—4,3,2,1. GOLF—4,3,2,1. TRIDENT MAGAZINE STAFF-4,3,2,1.
Joseph Francis Mudd
Saginaw, Michigan
It wasn't until his senior year in high school that Joe's interest in the Academy found ground. It seems that his father happened to be speculating as to Joe's future one evening and casually mentioned the Academy in connection with a military career. A month later found him in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at Northwestern Prep. After nine months, he returned home to Saginaw, Michigan, his hailing ground, to graduate with his class at Saint Mary's High School. Another two months and he was on the Pennsylvania Red Arrow bound for Annapolis, and a Naval career. Joe's favorite pastimes besides good old rack time and dragging included golf, handball, football games, leave, and just about anything that can't be listed as studies.
HANDBALL—4,3,2,1. GOLF—4,3,2,1. TRIDENT MAGAZINE STAFF-4,3,2,1.
Loss
From US Naval Academy Class of 1954:
Joe Mudd was on a remote tour as commander of a rescue detachment in Osan, Korea, when killed in a helicopter crash in October of 1973. Two years earlier he was flying rescue helicopters at Da Nang, Vietnam. Joe left eight children, one who is a graduate of the Air Force Academy and another of the Naval Academy.
Shipmate
From the April 1974 issue of Shipmate:
LCol. Joseph Francis Mudd, USAF, died on 22 October in Osan, Korea. Burial was in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. LCol. Mudd was born in Detroit, Mich. Upon graduation from the Naval Academy in 1954 he joined the Air Force and trained as a pilot. At the time of his death he was serving with the 41st Rescue and Recovery Wing at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii. His other duty stations included tours as a B-52 Commander and a B-58 Commander. He also spent one year in South Vietnam as a Helicopter Commander and had about 150 missions. He held two Distinguished Flying Crosses, seven Air Medals, three Air Force Commendation Medals and the Medal of Valour of the American Legion.
Surviving are his widow, Rosemary, 5355 Kendall St., Riverside, CA 92506; six sons, Joseph, Timothy, Thomas, Stephen, Michael and Samuel; two daughters, Lisa and Laura; his parents, Col. and Mrs. Richard D. Mudd; and two brothers and two sisters.
He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
The son who graduated the Air Force Academy did so in 1978; he retired in 2008 as a Brigadier General.
Distinguished Flying Cross
From Hall of Valor:
(Citation Needed) - SYNOPSIS: Major Joseph F. Mudd, United States Air Force, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight in Southeast Asia on 20 January 1971.
General Orders: Headquarters, 7th Air Force, Special Orders No. 0387 (February 14, 1972)
Action Date: January 20, 1971
Service: Air Force
Rank: Major
From Hall of Valor:
(Citation Needed) - SYNOPSIS: Major Joseph F. Mudd, United States Air Force, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight in Southeast Asia on 25 February 1971.
General Orders: Headquarters, 7th Air Force, Special Orders No. 0387 (February 14, 1972)
Action Date: February 25, 1971
Service: Air Force
Rank: Major
Joseph is one of 37 members of the Class of 1954 on Virtual Memorial Hall.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
