Verne D. Mudge

Verne Donald Mudge (September 5, 1898 – January 29, 1957) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Army with the rank of major general. He is most noted as commanding general of the 1st Cavalry Division during World War II, for which he received the Distinguished Service Cross, the United States Army's second highest military decoration for soldiers who display extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force.

Mudge served his whole career in the cavalry branch, rising from platoon leader to divisional commander. His career was cut short after he was wounded by a Japanese grenade during the Battle of Manila in February 1945. He retired from the U.S. Army in November 1946 and then served as chief of the Professional Staff of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee until July 1956.

In September 1921, Mudge was transferred to Fort Bliss, Texas, where he joined the Troop E, 7th Cavalry Regiment as platoon leader with additional duty as post athletic officer. He spent over two years in that capacity and during that time, he became engaged to Hortense Short, a daughter of the regimental commander, Colonel Walter Cowen Short. They married in March 1924. He then joined the 13th Cavalry Regiment at Presidio of San Francisco, California as commanding officer of Post Casual Company. Following his promotion to first lieutenant in May 1925, Mudge was transferred to Northwestern Military and Naval Academy in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and served as professor of Military Science and Tactics until June 1930.

In March 1943, the 2nd Cavalry Division was officially reactivated by the War Department as a segregated unit created from African American personnel. Mudge was given command of the 5th Cavalry Brigade, subordinated to the 2nd Cavalry Division. However, his tenure with that outfit was short, and he returned to the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Bliss, Texas as a newly promoted brigadier general in late March 1943.

Decorations

Here is the ribbon bar of Major General Verne D. Mudge:

1st Row Distinguished Service Cross Army Distinguished Service Medal 2nd Row Silver Star Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal 3rd Row Air Medal Purple Heart World War I Victory Medal 4th Row American Defense Service Medal American Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ four campaign stars and Arrowhead device 5th Row World War II Victory Medal Distinguished Service Star (Philippines) Philippine Liberation Medal with two starsPhilippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation