USMA Class of 1948, Captain Ruddell was a member of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was taken Prisoner of War while defending Taejon, South Korea on July 16, 1950, forced to march to North Korea on the "Tiger Death March", and died while a prisoner at Hanjang-ni, North Korea on January 21, 1951. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. For his leadership and valor, Captain Ruddell was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Purple Heart with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Prisoner of War Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
Fold3_Team · 8/04/2013
USMA Class of 1948, Captain Ruddell was a member of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was taken Prisoner of War while defending Taejon, South Korea on July 16, 1950, forced to march to North Korea on the "Tiger Death March", and died while a prisoner at Hanjang-ni, North Korea on January 21, 1951. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. For his leadership and valor, Captain Ruddell was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Purple Heart with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Prisoner of War Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.