John Wilbur "Sarge " Hudson  

Sgt. Major. John Wilbur "Sarge " Hudson BIRTH 3 Apr 1921 Florence, Florence County, South Carolina DEATH 14 Jan 1998 rural 7336 W 775N Culver, Fulton county Indiana BURIAL Washington Cemetery Culver, Marshall County, Indiana son of John J Hudson and Sarah Elizabeth Williams.

On 28 Oct 1945 John reenlisted, his term of service with the Field Artillery in the Hawaiian Department. John would eventually spend twenty-nine years in the Army. During his tenure with the Army, he became certified as a veterinarian technician and Master Ferrier (a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves, if necessary) in the Artillery Equitation School at Fort Bragg. During his final three years of service, he was Command Sergeant Major to the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. John amassed an impressive array of military honors, including the Legion of Merit, a Silver Star, a Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, a Purple Heart and the Combat Infantry Badge.

John W Hudson

CULVER IND — Mr John W Hudson 76 of Culver Ind died Wednesday Jan 14 1998 at his residence following an illness

He was born April 3 1921 in Florence a son of the late John J and Sarah Williams Hudson

He previously lived in Fort Belvoir Va and has lived in Indiana for the past 30 years

He was married to Helen J McDonald April 3 1948 in Germany who preceded him in death on July 21 1990

He retired from the US Army Aug 25 1969 with 30 years of service and with the rank of sergeant major and had served in both the European and Pacific theaters in World War n and also served in the Korean Conflict and received a Purple Heart Silver Star and the Legion of Merit

After his retirement from the Army he was the coach of the Polo Team at the Culvert Military Academy for the past 20 years

He was a member of the American Legion Post Monterey Ind and the ulton County Conservation Club

Surviving are three daughters Mrs Cynthia (Kent) Good of Culver Ind Mrs Audrey (Bill) Downey of Argos Ind and Miss Teresa Hudson of Columbus Ohio one son Mr John (Luann) Hudson of resno Calif six grandchildren and one sister Ms Julia Bullock of lorence

He was preceded in death by three sisters and two brothers

Memorials service will be held at 11:30 am Monday Jan 19 at the Culver Academy Chapel Culver Ind and a reception will be held immediately following the service in the Black Horse Troop Lounge at the academy

Chaplin Thomas Steffan will officiate Private burial service will be in the Washington Cemetery Culver Ind

There will be no visitation or viewing Grossman Funeral Home Argos Ind is in charge of arrangements. Florence Morning News South Carolina · Friday, January 16, 1998

married April 3 1948 Germany Helen Jane McDonald Birth 22 September 1924 Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio, Death 22 July 1990 Plymouth, Marshall County, Indiana Washington Cemetery Culver, Marshall County, Indiana daughter of Harry McDonald and Olive Pantelle

) Helen J. Hudson Sept. 22,1924-July 22.1990 ARGOS Services for Helen J. Hudson, 65, of 8590 18th Road, who died at 10 a.m. Sunday at Miller's Merry Manor Nursing Home, Plymouth, after an illness, will be at 11 a.m.

Wednesday at St Mary's of the Lake Catholic Church, Culver.

Burial will be in Washington Cemetery, east of Culver.

There will be no visitation. Grossman Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Hudson was born Sept 22, 1924, in Youngstown, Ohio, and had lived in the Argos area for the past three years, coming from Culver.

On April 3, 1948, in Germany, she married John W. Hudson. He survives with three daughters, Audrey Downey and Teresa M. Hudson, both of Argos, and Cynthia Good of Culver; a son, Chief Warrant Officer John W. Hudson Jr. of Germany; six grandchildren; and a sister, Audrey Kmetz of Youngstown.

Two sons preceded her in death.

She was a World War II veteran of the Army.

Mrs. Hudson was a member of St Joseph's Catholic Church, Rochester. - South Bend Tribune Jul 23, 1990

Culver Citizen
Dec 3, 2015
By Agnes Bramfeld

Driving north on Lake Shore Drive, after crossing Indiana 10, you will see a horse pasture on your right with the imposing and handsome sign inscribed as follows: "In Honor of Sarge Hudson and His Love of Culver Academies' Students and Horses through the generosity of the Russell T. Bundy Family."

For those who knew Sarge this will bring a surge of recognition and affection that is deep and lasting. To quote one of his students during the 23 years he was an instructor and inevitably an institution in the Equestrian Department and the Black Horse Troop organization: "I remember what he told me... in an uncharacteristically unguarded moment: 'I get to be around the two things I love the most: kids and horses - and they pay me for it."

Before what will be an abbreviated biography, I want to share some of the memories recorded by a group of graduates of the 1970s and other interested persons, who got together in a sort of chat room.

There were many stories about Buffalo Bill, alleged to have been a varsity jumper but at the time an absolutely obese stubborn animal who, when he found himself in water, inevitably would lie down.

"I have a theory that Sarge loved to wade through wa- ter when Buffalo Bill was in his group, just to be able yell, 'Miss Sayrah, Don't you let Bill lay down in that mud!' Then he'd silently watch my l osing battle with unflappable Bill. I'd yell, kick and punch fat old Bill as dropped into the mud for a lie down and then have off in knee deep mud to drag him out. Bill willingly to his feet and followed. I think he winked at Sarge, too. Sarge would then spit and declare, 'No bad horses, only. bad riders. You'll have to polish up that saddle when get back.' But he would be chuckling, I'm sure I saw it. "We used to bet how many seconds it would take for Bill to roll with someone in the lake on a hot day. "We went cross country riding one day... Sarge at lead.. .as I was trying to hold on to him (Bill) because all he wanted was to go back to the riding hall, a branch came out of nowhere and knocked me off him. As I was recovering, Sarge was right on top of me.. .1 looked up, he spit a load of that tobacco and said 'Well, well, if it isn't Mr. Zuno' ...smiled and went on. .Oh the memories.

"I hope Mr. Zuno won't mind my including his name in this reminiscence."

There were favorite horses, too. Rabbit "would run full to tilt at any jump you pointed him at, then pop over from about one foot back, no matter how high. Six feet was no the problem for him.

"Rabbit was my all-time favorite horse. I thought he step was like the war horses in ancient Greek and Roman rose paintings. He would CHARGE at those jumps!

"Many recalled: "Did I tell you to dismount young man little lady)?" after a fall.

"The longer you set.. .the wider you get."

And then there was the Alibi Book, which contained some very funny reasons as to why people became separated from their mounts."

Sarge was born John Wilbur Hudson in Florence, South Carolina, in 1921. He was in the United States Army for 29 years, ahd he became a master farrier in the artillery equitation school at Fort Bragg, was sent to Italy with the 10th Mountain Division during World War II , returned to Fort Bragg and earned certification as a veterinarian technician.

He was a platoon sergeant in Korea with the 1st Cavalry Division and served in Iran as advisor to the shah's cavalry battalion and camel detachment. For the last three years of his service he was command sergeant major to the U. S. Military Academy Preparatory School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. During his service he earned the Legion of Merit, a Silver Star, a Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, a Purple Heart and the Combat Infantry Badge.

He reported for duty at Culver on Sept. 1, 1969.

Sarge, with his family, lived at the south end of the East Shore and had the good fortune to have them help him with his responsibilities.

Cindy was the model for horsemanship classes.... "I loved riding classes with Sarge more than anything I can remember, often with Cindy (Hudson) quietly following Sarge 's directions and showing us how it was to be done." And Teresa reports, "When Dad started working.. .and students were away for Christmas vacation, all six of us kids used to help exercise the horses. We used to hit the polo ball around. There were times when he would give us equitation class, just like in the pictures.

He would have us all trotting around, one behind the other like a row of ducks (his phrase). Then he would walk out of the riding hall" "Stay trotting till I get back!" - "Twenty minutes later. . . .he might have come back."

"My dad used to go swimming with us in Lake Maxinkuckee. All three of us girls would ride on his back as he swam. He would go deep enough that everybody was under water. What a blast!"

There is a story about one of his appearances in the Inaugural Parades. Rev. John Houghton reported, "I just remember the Vice President nudging the President and pointing in amazement at that guy going by with all the stripes on his sleeve."

Sarge was gruff and often stern, but many of his students experienced his goodness and his kindness. One young man who was not enrolled in equitation for another year, was told to just wear his jeans and tell anyone who asked that his jodhpurs were at the laundry.

Another student recalls, "When I came back from being kicked out, Sarge put his arm around me and said, 'Which one you want, little lady?' She was able to choose her favorite horse.

"Yes, I fell off and was dumped in the water at the sand pits and Sarge said all the things you all have talked about. But he read me pretty well, and I could feel the warmth through the gruiffness. One of the things he told me I will never ever forget, out of the blue, just before going home at the end of my first year. I don't think I ever told him about my home life but he pulled me aside and told me that if I needed a place to stay, come to his house. I never did. I wish I had."

His daughter Cindy said, "In later years we used to joke about how you never knew what kind of cars you would find in Dad's driveway, BMW, Rolls, Mercedes, next to a beat-up pick-up held together with hay strings.

But everyone would be in the house together, drinkin' Early Times and swappin' lies about 'horses, dawgs, and wimmen,' in just that order. Everyone was welcome and treated the same."

That was CSM John W. Hudson, known and loved as "Sarge."

Note: Biographical information came from Bob Hartman Boots and Saddles, a wonderful history of the Black Horse Troop from 1897 to1997

U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 
Name	John W Hudson
Race	White
Marital Status	Single, without dependents (Single)
Rank	Staff Sergeant
Birth Year	1921
Nativity State or Country	South Carolina
Citizenship	Citizen
Residence	Florence, South Carolina
Education	Grammar school
Civil Occupation	Skilled occupations in manufacture of electrical machinery and accessories, n.e.c.
Enlistment Date	28 Oct 1945
Enlistment Place	Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Service Number	07009883
Branch	Field Artillery
Component	Regular Army (including Officers, Nurses, Warrant Officers, and Enlisted Men)
Source	National Guard in Federal Service, within 3 months of Discharge
Height	00
Weight	080 

U.S., Newspapers.com™ Marriage Index, 1800s-current 
Name	Helen Jane McDonald
Gender	Female
Marriage Date	Abt 1952
Spouse John Wilbur Hudson
Florence Morning News  South Carolina

 Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017 
Name	Helen J Hudson [Helen J McDonald]
Gender	Female
Race	White
Age	65
Marital Status	Married
Birth Date	22 Sep 1924
Birth Place	Youngstown, Ohio
Death Date	22 Jul 1990
Death Place	Plymouth, Marshall, Indiana, USA
Death Registration Date	1990
Father Harry McDonald
Mother Olive Pantelle
Spouse John W Hudson



Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017 
Name	John W. Hudson
Gender	Male
Race	White
Age	76
Marital Status	Widowed
Birth Date	3 Apr 1921
Birth Place	Florence, S. Carolina
Death Date	14 Jan 1998
Death Place	Culver, Fulton, Indiana, USA
Death Registration Date	1998
Father	John J. Hudson
Mother	Sarah Williams

Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
Name	John W. Hudson
Social Security Number 
Birth Date	3 Apr 1921
Issue year	1956
Issue State	South Carolina
Last Residence	46511, Culver, Marshall, Indiana, USA
Death Date	14 Jan 1998 

The number of stripes on Sarge's sleeve turned heads - including the President's - during Culver's participation in the Presidential Inaugural parades.

A young Sarge jumps over a horse.

Sarges's daughter and grandosns. L-R Max, John, and Cindy Good and Teresa Hudson.