Trudeau was born in Middlebury, Vermont, on 5 July 1902, and entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1920.{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/biographicalregi0000unse/page/1812/mode/1up |title=Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. From Its Establishment, in 1802, to 1890 |first=George Washington |last=Cullum |author-link=George Washington Cullum |editor-first=William H. |editor-last=Donaldson |volume=VII: 1920–1930 |publisher=Association of Graduates, United States Military Academy |page=1812 |year=1930 |access-date=2022-12-29 |via=Internet Archive}}{{Cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE2DE1339F93BA35755C0A967958260 |title=Lieut. Gen. Arthur Trudeau, 88, Retired Chief of Research in Army |first=Alfonso A. |last=Narvaez |newspaper=The New York Times |page=28 |date=1991-06-08 |access-date=2022-12-29}} He graduated in the Class of 1924 and later served in the 104th Engineers of the New Jersey National Guard.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bZpQu1nRcikC&pg=RA1-PA133 |title=Assembly |volume=50 |issue=4–6 |publisher=United States Military Academy Association of Graduates |pages=133–134 |year=1992 |access-date=2022-12-29 |via=Google Books}}

Career

File:Arthur Gilbert Trudeau (1902–1991) at West Point in 1924.png

In 1944, Trudeau was promoted to brigadier general. Considered a specialist in amphibious warfare as the prior chief of staff of the Engineer Amphibian Command,{{cite book |last1=Coll |first1=Blanche D. |last2=Keith |first2=Jean E. |last3=Rosenthal |first3=Herbert H. |title=The Corps of Engineers: Troops and Equipment |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army |year=1958 |pages=361–362 |oclc=934025581|url=https://history.army.mil/catalog/pubs/10/10-4.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101108053804/http://www.history.army.mil/catalog/pubs/10/10-4.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 November 2010 |access-date=31 January 2020 }} he assumed command of a secret base in the Philippines in 1945, assisting in the preparation for an invasion of Japan that never happened.

In January 1946, Trudeau was appointed as a judge at the military tribunal of Gen. Masaharu Homma in view of the war crimes committed by his command during the invasion of the Philippines, sitting on the bench along with Major General Leo Donovan, Major General Basilio Valdes, Brig. Gen. Robert G. Gard, and Brig. Gen. Warren H. McNaught.{{cite web |last1=Sides |first1=Hampton |title=The Trial Of General Homma |url=https://www.americanheritage.com/trial-general-homma |website=American Heritage |access-date=5 May 2020}}{{cite web |title=United States of America vs Masaharu Homma |url=https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/e7494b/pdf |website=ICC Legal Tools Database |publisher=International Criminal Court |access-date=5 May 2020}}

After the war, he served in Germany, before becoming deputy commander of the United States Army War College in 1950.[http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/agtrudeau.htm Arthur G. Trudeau, Lieutenant General, United States Army]

File:1958-02-06 Atomic Weapons come to Korea.ogv in 1958]]

During the Korean War, Trudeau commanded the 1st Cavalry Division, and later the 7th Infantry Division. He received the Silver Star by personally leading a reconnaissance team to scout a strategic position, Pork Chop Hill, while it was under heavy enemy fire. He was named chief of army intelligence in October 1953, but was relieved of his command 20 months later when Allen W. Dulles, Director of Central Intelligence, sent a scathing memorandum of complaints to the Pentagon. Although the contents of the memorandum were not made public, Trudeau was noted for his vigorous anti-Communist statements, and he often clashed with other government officials over their differing views of communist intentions. He returned to Korea to take command of I Corps. On 18 October 1956, Trudeau was promoted to lieutenant general.[https://www.publications.usace.army.mil/Portals/76/Publications/EngineerPamphlets/EP_870-1-26.pdf Engineer Memoirs, Lieut. Gen. Arthur Trudeau - USACE Publications] In 1958, he returned to Washington as director of Army research and development.

Later life and death

Upon retirement from the army in 1962, Trudeau went on to head Gulf Labs of the Gulf Oil Corporation in Pittsburgh until 1968. He then served as a special adviser to the chairman of Pittsburgh's Rockwell International aerospace firm until 1972.

Throughout his military service, Trudeau was an outspoken advocate of racial integration of the military. He also said it was in the nation's best interests that educational opportunities be provided for the disadvantaged so they could take advantage of new career openings. Trudeau is a member of the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame.{{Cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wAPiYThUoZkC&pg=PA152 |title=The Military Intelligence Story: A Photo History |chapter=Appendix III: Members of the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame |first=John Patrick |last=Finnegan |publisher=United States Army Intelligence and Security Command History Office, Office of the Chief of Staff |isbn=0160493358 |page=152 |date=1997 |access-date=2022-12-29 |via=Google Books}}

Trudeau died on 5 June 1991, in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Awards and decorations

Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Silver Star with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Air Medal
Philippine Liberation Medal
Commander of the Order of Leopold II
Order of Boyacá
Order of the Rising Sun
Knight Commander of the Order of the Sword
United Nations Medal

References

External links

{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070823024619/http://www.usace.army.mil/publications/eng-pamphlets/ep870-1-26/bio.pdf|title=U.S. Army biography of General Trudeau both in service and private sectors|date=August 23, 2007}}
{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070822233600/http://www.usace.army.mil/publications/eng-pamphlets/ep870-1-26/toc.htm|title=Lieutenant General Arthur G. Trudeau Interview Table of Contents|date=August 22, 2007}}
Arthur Trudeau's FBI files, hosted at the Internet Archive:
[https://archive.org/details/foia_Trudeau_Arthur_G.-HQ-1 Part 1]
[https://archive.org/details/foia_Trudeau_Arthur_G.-HQ-1A Part 1A]
[https://archive.org/details/foia_Trudeau_Arthur_G.-HQ-2 Part 2]
[https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/#/arlington-national/search/results/1/CgdUcnVkZWF1EgZBcnRodXI-/ Arlington National Cemetery]
[https://generals.dk/general/Trudeau/Arthur_Gilbert/USA.html Generals of World War II]