Shug Jordan in Four Major WW II Operations

[AU-24 3,067]

There of course will be those that whine and cry this should be in a different forum. Forgive me but I just don’t know how many of us in the Auburn family realize the following things about our own Shug Jordan.

I just thought putting it here, at least for a while, would mean the majority of our Fanbase could see and read. I think most of us realize he was wounded during the Normandy landings but I had no idea about the rest of his heroic, military service.
 

Very, very few people were in all four of these major World War II military operations, and lived to tell about them. Shug Jordan was one of the very few.

After graduation in 1932, he stayed on with the Auburn football coaching staff until World War II interrupted. He reached the rank of major during the war and was one of the few men who took part in four invasions – Northern Africa, Sicily, Normandy, and Okinawa.

🇺🇸Before he became a legendary football coach for the Auburn Tigers, Capt Ralph "Shug" Jordan '32 led men onto the Normandy shores on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

💜 Jordan received a Purple Heart and was awarded a Bronze Star for his heroic actions, his service and his sacrifice on D-Day. 

After his military service ended, Jordan didn't speak much about the war.  He never spoke about himself or his actions, but he did use his experiences to motivate his players. 

Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant said about Jordan, "He has more courage in his little finger than I've got in my entire body”.

[AUpreacherman22 3,885]

Thank you for posting this!!!

[Gowebb11 9,314]

On 6/8/2023 at 7:36 AM, AU-24 said:

There of course will be those that whine and cry this should be in a different forum. Forgive me but I just don’t know how many of us in the Auburn family realize the following things about our own Shug Jordan.

I just thought putting it here, at least for a while, would mean the majority of our Fanbase could see and read. I think most of us realize he was wounded during the Normandy landings but I had no idea about the rest of his heroic, military service.
 

Very, very few people were in all four of these major World War II military operations, and lived to tell about them. Shug Jordan was one of the very few.

After graduation in 1932, he stayed on with the Auburn football coaching staff until World War II interrupted. He reached the rank of major during the war and was one of the few men who took part in four invasions – Northern Africa, Sicily, Normandy, and Okinawa.

🇺🇸Before he became a legendary football coach for the Auburn Tigers, Capt Ralph "Shug" Jordan '32 led men onto the Normandy shores on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

💜 Jordan received a Purple Heart and was awarded a Bronze Star for his heroic actions, his service and his sacrifice on D-Day. 

After his military service ended, Jordan didn't speak much about the war.  He never spoke about himself or his actions, but he did use his experiences to motivate his players. 

Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant said about Jordan, "He has more courage in his little finger than I've got in my entire body”.

I only learned of this a few days ago. Fascinating. I also had no idea he was head basketball coach at AU and UGA. It’s really a story worthy of a 30 for 30 type show. What a coach and what a man! 

[tigerman1186 537]

I was talking to his son last fall and he said after his dad came back from Europe he thought his service wasn't needed, but he received a letter thinking it was his release papers but orders to report to the west coast and was going to the Pacific theatre; his drove to across country, but by the time they arrived the war was ending. Coach Jordan was like a lot of WWII vets that came back, they didn't talk about their time in the service and wanted to put it behind them. (Our Greatest Generation) Thanks to all of them.... 

[AURex 1,994]

I've read a lot about Shug over the years and he has always been my favorite AU coach. He was coach when I was at Auburn (yes, I'm old). Not only a great coach, but also a great man.

 

[AU-24 3,067]

3 hours ago, tigerman1186 said:

I was talking to his son last fall and he said after his dad came back from Europe he thought his service wasn't needed, but he received a letter thinking it was his release papers but orders to report to the west coast and was going to the Pacific theatre; his drove to across country, but by the time they arrived the war was ending. Coach Jordan was like a lot of WWII vets that came back, they didn't talk about their time in the service and wanted to put it behind them. (Our Greatest Generation) Thanks to all of them.... 

Thanks, he was in the battle of Okinawa, however. It was a fierce Pacific battle with some of the highest casualties of the entire war to include the European theater.

At this point, the Japanese knew they couldn’t beat us, but they just wanted to make the casualties during the Okinawa invasion so bad, that we would think twice before invading mainland, Japan.

Of course, the two atomic bombs put an end to this Japanese strategy. It’s just almost unbelievable that any man was in all four of these campaigns and came back alive.

[Shugman 4]

I got to meet Shug on two occasions.  A true gentleman.  My dad and I went to the Sylacauga Public Library a few years back and heard a speech about Shug given by his former long time assistant.  She said General George Patton knew Shug and trusted his opinions.  According to her, one night Patton asked Shug where he was from and Shug filled him in – including the War Eagle battle cry which Patton loved. 

Not sure how to post it but the following link will take you to the official Auburn University Digital Archives where you can see that Patton had War Eagle painted on his command car in no less than three places.

https://content.lib.auburn.edu/digital/collection/village/id/209

[augolf1716 21,109]

[augolf1716 21,109]

8 minutes ago, Shugman said:

I got to meet Shug on two occasions.  A true gentleman.  My dad and I went to the Sylacauga Public Library a few years back and heard a speech about Shug given by his former long time assistant.  She said General George Patton knew Shug and trusted his opinions.  According to her, one night Patton asked Shug where he was from and Shug filled him in – including the War Eagle battle cry which Patton loved. 

Not sure how to post it but the following link will take you to the official Auburn University Digital Archives where you can see that Patton had War Eagle painted on his command car in no less than three places.

https://content.lib.auburn.edu/digital/collection/village/id/209

Great to hear Shugman

Shug was a frat brother of mine "Theta Chi". I was around him quite often at Sewell Hall during dinner time or recruits coming into Sewell plus he would come by the frat house once or twice a quarter. He was as you say a true gentleman and what a lot of people never knew was he had a photographic memory. He could meet someone and 30 years later remember their name as well as any family members names and events surrounding meeting them.

 

[AU-24 3,067]

3 hours ago, Shugman said:

I got to meet Shug on two occasions.  A true gentleman.  My dad and I went to the Sylacauga Public Library a few years back and heard a speech about Shug given by his former long time assistant.  She said General George Patton knew Shug and trusted his opinions.  According to her, one night Patton asked Shug where he was from and Shug filled him in – including the War Eagle battle cry which Patton loved. 

Not sure how to post it but the following link will take you to the official Auburn University Digital Archives where you can see that Patton had War Eagle painted on his command car in no less than three places.

https://content.lib.auburn.edu/digital/collection/village/id/209

Did not know this, thanks for sharing!

[AU-24 3,067]

3 hours ago, augolf1716 said:

Thanks for posting!

[woodford 3,655]

10 hours ago, augolf1716 said:

 

10 hours ago, augolf1716 said:

Great to hear Shugman

Shug was a frat brother of mine "Theta Chi". I was around him quite often at Sewell Hall during dinner time or recruits coming into Sewell plus he would come by the frat house once or twice a quarter. He was as you say a true gentleman and what a lot of people never knew was he had a photographic memory. He could meet someone and 30 years later remember their name as well as any family members names and events surrounding meeting them.

 

This is a great picture! Shug was the embodiment of a Southern Gentleman. War Eagle!