Lieutenant General Robbins, with 22 aerial victories, became Texas’ leading fighter ace in World War II. He flew a total of 181 combat missions in his Lightning P-38. He was commander of the 12th Air Force, vice commander of the Tactical Air Command and vice commander of the Military Airlift Command. His awards include two Distinguished Service Crosses, three Distinguished Medals and two Silver Stars.
Hall of Honor Inductees
Lieutenant General Ormond R. Simpson ’36
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General Simpson saw combat in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. In April 1965, he become commanding general, 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune. He also commanded the 1st Marine Division in Vietnam for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for exceptionally meritorious service.
As a much decorated Marine officer, he returned to Texas A&M University to become assistant vice president for Student Services and the head of the School of Military Sciences.
Olin E. Teague ’32
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Olin “Tiger” Teague, who died in 1981, commanded the First Battalion, 314th Infantry, 79th Division, during World War II. For six months, he led his battalion through France and into the Siegfried Line in Germany.
His combat tour ended with a serious wound. He then went on to serve with distinction for 32 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee and was the most decorated soldier to serve in the House.
Major General James Earl Rudder ’32
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After graduation from Texas A&M, Rudder had been commissioned a second lieutenant of infantry in the United States Army Reserve. Called to 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.
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 Reserves in 1954 and Major General in 1957.
He returned from the war to serve as mayor of Brady Texas. Rudder won the 1956 state land commissioner election and became vice president of Texas A&M University in 1958. Rudder became president in 1959 and president of the entire A&M System from 1965 to his death in 1970. In 1967 President Lyndon B. Johnson presented him with the Distinguished Service Medal, the highest peacetime service award. Since his death in 1970, an annual service has been held in Normandy, France, in his honor.
While president of Texas A&M, Rudder is credited for transforming the University from a small land-grant college to a renowned university. Specifically, he made membership in the Corps of Cadets optional, allowed women to attend, and led efforts to integrate the campus. While the changes were hugely unpopular to the former students (it has been said only a president with Rudder’s heroic military record could pull off such drastic changes), there is no doubt these changes freed Texas A&M to become one of the largest universities in the U.S. There are many reminders of Rudder on campus, including Rudder Tower, next to the Memorial Student Center. A special training unit within the Corps of Cadets known as “Rudder’s Rangers” is named in his honor.
General Bernard A. Schriever ’31
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General Schriever participated in seven major campaigns in the Pacific Theater of World War II and was awarded the Purple Heart and Distinguished Service Medal. After the war, he directed the development of the ballistic missile program and the initial space program for the Air Force.
He was awarded honorary, doctoral degrees from seven colleges and universities. General Schriever retired in 1966 as a four-star general and the commander of Air Force Systems Command after a 35-year military career.