Bud Mahurin was born on December 5, 1918, in Benton Harbor, Michigan. He enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Forces on September 29, 1941, and was commissioned a 2Lt and awarded his pilot wings on April 29, 1942. Mahurin deployed to England with the 63rd Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group in January 1943, and was credited with destroying 20.75 enemy aircraft in aerial combat before being forced to bail out over France on March 21, 1944. Maj Mahurin managed to evade capture with the help of the French Resistance and was sent back to the United States. In October 1944, he was assigned as commander of the 3rd Fighter Squadron of the 3rd Air Commando Group in the Philippines, where he was credited with destroying 1 enemy aircraft. Col Mahurin became commander of the 3rd Air Commando Group in September 1945. He remained in the Air Force after the war and was serving in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force when the Korean War began. He became commander of the 1st Fighter Group in July 1951, and was sent to Korea in December 1951 to serve with the 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing. Col Mahurin took command of the 4th Fighter Interceptor Group in March 1952, and he was credited with destroying 3.5 enemy aircraft before he was forced to crash land in North Korea on May 13, 1952. He was taken as a Prisoner of War and held in captivity until September 1953, 3 months after the war ended. Col Mahurin resigned his commission on March 5, 1956, and accepted a commission in the Air Force Reserve on November 7, 1956. He retired from the Air Force Reserve on December 5, 1978. Bud Mahurin died on May 11, 2010, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

His Distinguished Service Cross Citation reads:

For extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a P-47 Fighter Airplane in the 63d Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, EIGHTH Air Force, in aerial combat against enemy forces on 4 October 1943, in the European Theater of Operations. On this date Captain Mahurin shot down THREE enemy aircraft in a single engagement. Captain Mahurin's unquestionable valor in aerial combat is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the 8th Air Force, and the United States Army Air Forces.