Richard Hudson graduated from Amsterdam High School in 1964 and was drafted into the U.S Army in 1968. In late 1968, he was deployed to the Central Highlands in Vietnam and stationed North of Qui Nhon, where he was promoted to Sergeant with an official title of Equipment Storage Specialist. He spent the bulk of his time there protecting supply convoys from Pleiku up to Da Nang by land, riding as point and gunner in Jeeps, and by air in helicopters, sometimes through a particularly dangerous stretch of Highway 19 called An Khe Pass. Upon returning home, Richard and his wife Karen started a family of 5 children, first living on Locust Ave and later building a home in Hagaman. He was employed as the Parts Manager at Dunn Truck Sales until his retirement in 2009.