Richard Lowell Roudebush
Soldier, U.S. Army

Richard Roudebush was born on 1 January 1918 on a farm in Hamilton County, near Noblesville, IN. He attended Hamilton County schools and graduated from Butler University in Indianapolis, IN, in 1941.

Roudebush served in the U.S. Army from 18 November 1941 to 12 August 1944, as a Demolition Specialist for the Ordnance Department in Middle Eastern, North African, and Italian Campaigns. He sustained severe wounds during his service.

He was a farmer and a partner in a livestock commission company. He served as National Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in 1957-58 and served as chairman of the Indiana Veterans Commission from 1954-60.

Roudebush was elected to represent 3 different Indiana Districts in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 1961-71. He first represented the 6th District from 1961-67, then the 10th District from 1967-69, then finally the 5th District from 1969-71. In 1971 he declined to run for his Congressional seat, opting to run for the position of Senator from Indiana as a Republican. In that election he lost to Democrat Vance Hartke.

After the end of his Congressional career, he served a tour as Commander-In-Chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization.

Honors

The Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, a part of the Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, was named in his honor.

Death and Burial

Richard Roudebush died on 28 January 1995. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA.