COL Carroll D. Hudson
COL Carroll D. Hudson was the first Commanding Officer of the Redstone Ordnance Plant (redesignated Redstone Arsenal in February 1943). He was born on 15 September 1899 in Los Angeles, California. Colonel Hudson began his military career as a Navy enlisted man during World War I. In 1922, he received a degree in mechanical engineering from Leland Stanford University. Colonel Hudson was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the Army Reserve, Ordnance Department, on 23 January 1926. From 1935 to 1938, he served on active duty in the Civilian Conservation Corps. Long active as a reserve officer, he was recalled to active duty as a major in August 1940 and attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. In December 1940, he was assigned to the Ammunition Division of the Office, Chief of Ordnance.
Colonel Hudson served as Commanding Officer of Redstone Arsenal from 25 September 1941 to 1 October 1943. He was briefly reassigned to the Office of the Field Director of Ammunition Plants in St. Louis, Missouri, but returned as Redstone Arsenal's Commanding Officer on 7 December 1943. During these tours, he developed the arsenal into one of the best equipped, most productive munitions manufacturing centers in the nation. During World War II, Redstone Arsenal produced some 80 percent of the Army's chemical ammunition and never failed to meet a production quota. Redstone Arsenal won the coveted Army-Navy "E" Award five different times, and Colonel Hudson won the Legion of Merit for his outstanding achievements and expertise in the manufacture of munitions. Colonel Hudson left Redstone on 15 March 1946 to become Commanding Officer of Joliet Arsenal. That same year, he received a Regular Army appointment. In April 1947, he was assigned to the Philippines and later moved to Okinawa as Ordnance Officer for the Ryukyus Command.
On 30 November 1948, Colonel Hudson was reassigned to Redstone Arsenal as Commanding Officer. During this tour, he guided the installation through a mammoth facility construction program for the development of ordnance rockets and guided missiles, while maintaining the capability for production of conventional ammunition. He also oversaw an expansion of the arsenal's mission to include field service and procurement responsibilities for rockets and guided missiles on a nationwide basis. One of his last acts before concluding his final tour at Redstone on 7 May 1952 was the establishment of the Provisional Redstone Ordnance School, progenitor of the present-day Army Ordnance Missile and Munitions Center and School.
In addition to being awarded the Legion of Merit, Colonel Hudson also received several other awards and decorations. These included the World War I and World War II victory Medals, the American Defense Service Ribbon for duty prior to Pearl Harbor, and the American Theater Ribbon. Colonel Hudson died on 4 June 1992. In 1993, he was inducted into the U.S. Army Ordnance Hall of Fame.