James J. Hudson enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps during the Second World War, and was stationed at various bases, including North Africa and Italy while participating in the Sicilian, Naples-Foggia, and Southern France campaigns. Hudson's aerial combat experience as a fighter pilot included 191 missions of the strafing, dive-bombing, escort, interception, and convoy-patrol type in P-39, P-38, and P-47 aircraft. He received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Arkansas and his Ph.D. in history from the University of California at Berkeley.