WW2 Operation Market Garden KIA Purple Heart Medal 91st Squadron 439th Troop Carrier Group 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Battalion Killed in Action mudd

[historyfixer]

When everyone else was at the SOS I found this Purple Heart Medal named to Dana T Mudd T121084 who was a glider pilot with the 91st Squadron 439th Troop Carrier Group, 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Battalion. He took part in Operation Market Garden. On September 21, 1944 all the gliders had taken enemy fire and there were many wounded. F.O. Mudd commandeered a truck and began evacuating the wounded back to friendly lines. Six times Flight Officer Mudd transported the wounded, but on his sixth return trip, he was ambushed and killed by German soldiers. Flight Officer Dana T. Mudd is buried at Neuville-en-Condroz U.S. Military Cemetery in Belgium.

 

http://www.ww2incolor.com/us-air-force/1__017.html

 

http://ryangarbsgoldstarmemorial.net/?nav=stories&num=44

 

http://www.508pir.org/odessey/holland/holland_05.htm

 

 

 

[historyfixer]

[tarbridge]

Thanks for posting. A Brave fellow...RIP.

[katieony]

Congratulations and thanks for sharing his story!

 

Mike

[BILL THE PATCH]

Did he receive any other awards?

[firefighter]

Amazing stuff. Sounds like his actions deserved at least a Silver Star. R.I.P. :-(

[firefighter]

Did he receive any other awards?

 

LOL! I was thinking the same. I couldn't find any other awards. As I was typing it said someone was posting another comment.

[jonesy1275]

Awesome grouping and I'm very envious.

 

He would have received an Air Medal for his glider flight into Holland.

[JDK]

Very nice find! I agree, sounds like a Silver Star to me. Thanks for sharing and for remembering his service!

 

JD

[Wharfmaster]

National WW2 Memorial indicates Air Medal and Purple Heart.

 

Brave man. Rest in peace.

 

 

Wharf

[historyfixer]

The first thing I did when I read the story was look to see if he received a SSM. Also the day after I bought the Medal I went back to the shop and told the owner that I would give them a lot of money if the guy came back in with anything else of Mudd's. I told her that there should at least be an Air Medal.

[gliderman1]

historyfixer,

 

Great find!

 

Re: 91st Squadron 439th Troop Carrier Group, 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Battalion

 

Mudd was 91st Squadron 439th Troop Carrier Group but was NOT 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Battalion. He may have hauled the 80th in his glider. The C-47s, CG-4As and pilots belonged to Troop Carrier not Airborne. TC was charged with transporting the A/B men supplies and equipment.

 

Mudd would have been awarded an Air Medal and is indicated as such in the NWW2GPA data base. Although it was not until 1982, he qualified for the Orange Lanyard. It is possible the OL was sent to his wife but that would be difficult to ascertain. In 1945-46 (whenever) the Dutch Gov awarded the OL (Order of William) to the US and Brit A/B combatants who put foot on Dutch soil (C-47 TC pilots did not qualify) during the Market operation. The Dutch assumed the US GPs were part of the A/B as were the Brit pilots. Not being so, the US GPs (TCC) were not included. This was rectified in November 1982. We have no idea if Mudd was put up for a Bronze or a Silver Star.

 

[FFZFlyer]

A valor award does seem warranted.

[flyboy53]

Humbling.

 

The 439th still exists, now a C-5A Galaxy strategic airlift wing assigned to Westover AFB, MA.

[marketc47]

As Charlie mentioned, F/O Mudd was with the 91st Troop Carrier Squadron, 439th Troop Carrier Group. They flew in elements of the 80th AA/AT Bn, a unit of the 82nd airborne division. F/O Mudd flew to Holland on September 17, 1944.

A Dutch photographer pictured Mudd i the Streets of Groesbeek, and somehow the photographer and Muddreturned to the field where Mudd had landed. There another few photos were taken by the Dutch photographer (not profesion, he became a dentist).

Those photos have been published in several books and are easy to find on the magical internet.

 

According to the official documentations, F/O Mudd as killed on September 21. The story of evacuating wounded and such are based on internet publication without source.

To start, the 21st there were no glider lifts. F/O Mudd was killed in the area of the Dutch town Uden. This was on his way back to Brussels. The area between Veghel and Uden was the scene of a German counter attack. One fellow glider pilot of the 439th received a Silver Star of his actions, helping a anti-tank crew of the 101st AB Division. For me, it would make more sense that F/O Mudd ws killed during this German counter attack.

 

He was awared the Air Medal.

 

Today he is buried at Margraten Cemetery, Netherlands.

reat to see his PH.

 

Hans

www.airbornetroopcarrier.com

www.facebook.com/airbornetroopcarrier

[marketc47]

Fail to find how to edit, but he's buried at Belgium.

[SISK]

I am related to Dana Mudd.

Our family had little knowledge of how he died.

On online search a few years back revealed a story about Dana being killed in battle at the Nijmegen bridge.

Thank you for posting the picture of his purple heart.

 

I never had the chance to know this wonderful man, but we miss him everyday.

 

 

[historyfixer]

gliderman1 thank you for the Info. And correcting me on the 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Battalion.

 

FFzFlyer if the story is true I have read hundreds of Bronze Star Citation for far less and Silver Star Citation for similar actions.

 

flyboy53 Thanks for the Info

 

marketc47 Thanks for the Info I will have to look for the other Dutch photographer pictures.

 

SISK Thanks for posting the photos of his wings.