Ruud, Gerald M.
Item
Title
Ruud, Gerald M.
Creator
Bobby Ciarletta
Birth Date
1945-06-14
Conflict
Military Branch
Rank
Sergeant
Service Start Date
1963-06
Service End Date
1969-06-17
Biographical Text
Gerald Marvin Ruud was born June 14, 1945. He originally lived with his family in Olympia, WA and graduated from Olympia High School. His father Marvin Ruud was a Marine during World War II.
He chose to serve in as a Marine as a diversion from school, and this lasted from June 1963 to June 17, 1969. Although he could not have imagined how challenging the Marines would be both physically and mentally. He says that early on at boot camp, “We were all like robots. Scared to death...learned quickly about life and death situations.” This was from his 2017 interview for Mahwah Memories.
From then he progressed on to Memphis, TN for vocational testing, and then to Jacksonville, FL to learn how to repair aircraft. His first deployment was to Iwakuni, Japan in 1964. He worked on aircraft such as helicopters, trainers, fighters, and transports. His time in active combat also included 13 months in Vietnam, protecting pilots and the other Marines, while his travels also led him to Puerto Rico and Arizona. Finally he was discharged in North Carolina and moved to Charlotte, where he worked full time while attending college.
He said that being married and having children helped him adjust to normal life again. While still serving, he had already married Judith A. McDowell of River Vale, NJ on Sunday, July 2, 1967. This took place at the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Westwood, NJ. At the time Ruud was a sergeant, while McDowell was a registered nurse. He was working as an aircraft technician on the 4B Phantom Jet Fighter, Cherry Point, NC.
As of December 1968, Judi had been working at Pascack Valley Hospital and waiting for her husband to come home. He was serving with the 1st-Marine Air Wing in Chu Lai, Vietnam while she lived in River Vale. This was before they went to live together at the Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, NC.
Later on, the couple had a son named Jerry, and also lived in Mahwah. Ruud eventually joined the local VFW Post 7124, 40 years after her served. He also participated in Wreaths Across America as he is pictured in the Record in 2014. Ruud began attending reunions with members of the “Silver Eagles”, the VMFA-115 Fighter Attack Squadron as well.
He also says, “We joined to fight for God and our country. Would gladly do it again in a heartbeat. It was the most productive time in my life when what I did really mattered.”
He chose to serve in as a Marine as a diversion from school, and this lasted from June 1963 to June 17, 1969. Although he could not have imagined how challenging the Marines would be both physically and mentally. He says that early on at boot camp, “We were all like robots. Scared to death...learned quickly about life and death situations.” This was from his 2017 interview for Mahwah Memories.
From then he progressed on to Memphis, TN for vocational testing, and then to Jacksonville, FL to learn how to repair aircraft. His first deployment was to Iwakuni, Japan in 1964. He worked on aircraft such as helicopters, trainers, fighters, and transports. His time in active combat also included 13 months in Vietnam, protecting pilots and the other Marines, while his travels also led him to Puerto Rico and Arizona. Finally he was discharged in North Carolina and moved to Charlotte, where he worked full time while attending college.
He said that being married and having children helped him adjust to normal life again. While still serving, he had already married Judith A. McDowell of River Vale, NJ on Sunday, July 2, 1967. This took place at the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Westwood, NJ. At the time Ruud was a sergeant, while McDowell was a registered nurse. He was working as an aircraft technician on the 4B Phantom Jet Fighter, Cherry Point, NC.
As of December 1968, Judi had been working at Pascack Valley Hospital and waiting for her husband to come home. He was serving with the 1st-Marine Air Wing in Chu Lai, Vietnam while she lived in River Vale. This was before they went to live together at the Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, NC.
Later on, the couple had a son named Jerry, and also lived in Mahwah. Ruud eventually joined the local VFW Post 7124, 40 years after her served. He also participated in Wreaths Across America as he is pictured in the Record in 2014. Ruud began attending reunions with members of the “Silver Eagles”, the VMFA-115 Fighter Attack Squadron as well.
He also says, “We joined to fight for God and our country. Would gladly do it again in a heartbeat. It was the most productive time in my life when what I did really mattered.”
Family Members
Married Judith A. McDowell; had a son, Jerry.
Collection
Citation
Bobby Ciarletta, “Ruud, Gerald M.,” Mahwah Veterans Project, accessed July 2, 2024, https://mahwahmuseum.reclaim.hosting/MVP/items/show/80.