Courtney H. Hodges

Information

Career Summary

Command or Organization	Unit Insignia	Begin Date	End Date	Location
Civilian
Student — Perry High School		1900	1903	Perry, Georgia
Student — North Georgia Agricultural College		1903	1904	Dahlonega, Georgia
Cadet, 16 June 1904
Cadet — United States Military Academy		16 June 1904	17 June 1905	West Point, New York
Private - Sergeant, Infantry, 05 November 1906
Company "L"; ? Battalion; 17th Infantry		05 November 1906	12 November 1909	Fort McPherson, Georgia
20px Second Lieutenant, Infantry, 13 November 1909
13th Infantry		13 November 1909	01 September 1914	Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Fort William McKinley, Philippines
26th Infantry		23 September 1914	13 October 1914	Texas City, Texas
6th Infantry		13 October 1914	15 March 1916	El Paso, Texas
6th Infantry; Mexican Expedition		15 March 1916	—	Mexico (various)
8px First Lieutenant, Infantry, 01 July 1916
6th Infantry; Mexican Expedition		—	08 January 1917	see above
6th Infantry		08 January 1917	15 May 1917	El Paso, Texas
21px Captain, Infantry, 15 May 1917
51st Infantry		17 May 1917	24 August 1917	Chickamauga, Georgia
6th Infantry		24 August 1917	08 July 1918
22px Major, Infantry, 07 June 1918
Commanding Officer — 3rd Battalion, 6th Infantry; 10th Infantry Brigade; 5th Division		08 July 1918	—	France
22px Lieutenant Colonel, Infantry, 31 October 1918
Commanding Officer — 3rd Battalion, 6th Infantry; 10th Infantry Brigade; 5th Division		—	11 August 1918	see above
Commanding Officer — 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry; 10th Infantry Brigade; 5th Division	[[File:	11 August 1918	09 November 1918
6th Infantry; 10th Infantry Brigade; 5th Division		01 December 1918	03 July 1918	Germany; Luxembourg
22px Major, Infantry, 01 July 1920
Student Officer — Field Artillery School, Battery Commander's Course		1919	1920	Fort Sill, Oklahoma
◌ Tactics Instructor — United States Military Academy ◌ Commander — First Battalion; Corps of Cadets ◌ Tactical Officer — Company "L"; Corps of Cadets		14 December 1920	01 September 1924	West Point, New York
Student Officer — Command and General Staff School		08 September 1924	19 June 1925	Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
Instructor — Infantry School		00 June 1925	00 June 1926	Fort Benning, Georgia
Infantry Tactics Instructor — Air Corps Tactical School		00 June 1926	00 August 1929	Langley Field, Virginia
Executive Officer — Fort Douglas		00 August 1929	00 November 1929	Fort Douglas, Utah
Member — Infantry Board		00 November 1929	15 August 1933	Fort Benning, Georgia
Student Officer — Army War College		18 August 1933	26 June 1934	Washington Barracks
Executive Officer — Headquarters, 7th Infantry; 5th Infantry Brigade; 3rd Division	[[File:	26 June 1934	—	Vancouver Barracks, Washington
22px Lieutenant Colonel, Infantry, 01 October 1934 (temp. General Staff Corps, 03 May 1936 - 19 May 1938)
Executive Officer — Headquarters, 7th Infantry; 5th Infantry Brigade; 3rd Division	[[File:	—	00 May 1936	see above
Assistant Chief of Staff G-3 — Headquarters, Philippine Division	[[File:	03 May 1936	Unknown	Fort William McKinley, Philippines
Assistant Chief of Staff G-3 — Headquarters, Philippine Department	[[File:	Unknown	19 May 1938
◌ Assistant Commandant of the Infantry School ◌ Member — Infantry Board		00 July 1938	—	Fort Benning, Georgia
27px Colonel, Infantry, 01 October 1938
◌ Assistant Commandant of the Infantry School ◌ Member — Infantry Board		—	—	see above
Brigadier General, 02 April 1940
◌ Assistant Commandant of the Infantry School ◌ Member — Infantry Board		—	07 October 1940	see above
◌ 9th Commandant of the Infantry School ◌ President — Infantry Board		07 October 1940	03 March 1941
Assistant Chief of Infantry		00 March 1941	01 May 1941	Washington, D.C.
Interim Chief of Infantry		01 May 1941	31 May 1941
Major General, Chief of Infantry, 31 May 1941
6th Chief of Infantry		31 May 1941	09 March 1942	Washington, D.C.
Commanding General — Headquarters, Replacement and School Command		09 March 1942	00 May 1942	Birmingham, Alabama
Commanding General — Headquarters, X Corps	[[File:	16 May 1942	02 February 1943	Sherman, Texas
Lieutenant General, 16 February 1943
◌ Commanding General — Headquarters, Third Army ◌ Commanding General — Headquarters, Southern Defense Command	[[File:	16 February 1943	00 December 1943	Fort Sam Houston, Texas
Commanding General — Headquarters, Third Army		00 December 1943	25 January 1944
Deputy Commanding General — Headquarters, First Army	[[File:	00 March 1944	31 July 1944	Bristol, England; France; Belgium
Commanding General — Headquarters, First Army		01 August 1944	—	Belgium; Germany
General, 15 April 1945
Commanding General — Headquarters, First Army	[[File:	—	12 June 1946	Germany; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Jay, New York
◌ Commanding General — Headquarters, First Army ◌ Commanding General — Headquarters, First Army Area	[[File:	12 June 1946	31 January 1949	Fort Jay, New York
General, retired, 31 January 1949
Military Adviser to Sir Owen Dixon, United Nations mediator in the Kashmir dispute		16 June 1950	23 August 1950	Kashmir
Vice Chairman of the Texas United States Defense Fund Committee		16 August 1951	Unknown	Dallas, Texas

Dates of Rank

Grade	Rank Insignia	Name	Branch	Appointment	Age	Service	Date of Rank	Accepted	Years Spent in Rank
		Cadet		16 Jun 1904 - 17 Jun 1905	17	Regular Army	16 Jun 1904	16 Jun 1904	1 year
E-3		Private		05 Nov 1906	19		05 Nov 1906	05 Nov 1906	-
E-4		Corporal		01 Feb 1907	20		01 Feb 1907	01 Feb 1907	-
E-5		Sergeant		12 Jul 1907	20		12 Jul 1907	12 Jul 1907	2 years
O-1		2nd Lieutenant	60px	13 Nov 1909	22		13 Nov 1909	13 Nov 1909	3 years
O-2		1st Lieutenant		01 Jul 1916	29		01 Jul 1916	01 Jul 1916	-
O-3		Captain		15 May 1917	30		15 May 1917	15 May 1917	3 years
O-4		Major		07 Jun 1918 - 31 Oct 1918	31	National Army	07 Jun 1918	02 Sep 1918	-
O-5		Lieutenant Colonel		31 Oct 1918 - 13 Feb 1920	31		31 Oct 1918	17 Nov 1918	1 year
O-4		Major		01 Jul 1920	33	Regular Army	01 Jul 1920	01 Jul 1920	14 years
O-5		Lieutenant Colonel		01 Oct 1934	47		01 Oct 1934	01 Oct 1934	4 years
O-6		Colonel		01 Oct 1938	51		01 Oct 1938	01 Oct 1938	1 years
O-7		Brigadier General		02 Apr 1940	53		02 Apr 1940	02 Apr 1940	4 years
O-8		Major General (Chief of Infantry)	60px	31 May 1941 - 30 May 1945	54		31 May 1941	31 May 1941	3 years
O-9	130px	Lieutenant General (temporary)		16 Feb 1943 - 26 Mar 1944	56		16 Feb 1943	16 Feb 1943	1 year
O-9	130px	Lieutenant General		08 Feb 1943 - 15 Apr 1945	56	Army of the United States	08 Feb 1943	08 Feb 1943	2 years
O-10	130px	General		15 Apr 1945 - 01 Feb 1949	58		15 Apr 1945	26 Apr 1945	3 years
O-8		Major General		22 Jun 1946	57	Regular Army	02 Oct 1944	02 Oct 1944	2 years
		Retired, Operation of Law		31 Jan 1949	62
O-10	130px	General		01 Feb 1949	62	Retired	15 Apr 1945	01 Feb 1949	16 years

• United States Army - Cadet USMA : 16 June 1904 - 17 June 1905 (01 year, 01 day)
• United States Army - Enlistment - Infantry : 05 November 1906 - 20 November 1909 (03 years, 15 days)
• United States Army - Commission - Infantry : 20 November 1909 - 02 May 1940 (30 years, 05 months, 12 days)
• United States Army - Commission - General Staff Corps (temp.) : 03 May 1936 - 19 May 1938 (02 years, 16 days)
• United States Army - Commission - General Officer : 02 May 1940 - 31 January 1949 (08 years, 08 months, 29 days)
• National Army - Commission - Infantry : 17 June 1918 - 13 February 1920 (01 year, 07 months, 27 days)
• Army of the United States - Commission - General Officer : 08 February 1943 - 31 January 1949 (05 years, 11 months, 23 days)

Total = 43 year(s), 02 month(s), 29 day(s)

Awards and Decorations

United States Decorations Distinguished Service Cross Distinguished Service Medal — two oak leaf clusters Silver Star Medal Bronze Star Medal Mexican Service Medal World War I Victory Medal — three campaign clasps / stars Army of Occupation of Germany Medal American Defense Service Medal American Campaign Medal European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal — arrowhead device; five service stars Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal Foreign Personal Decorations (in order worn) Order of the Liberator General San Martin — Grand Officer Argentine Republic Most Honourable Order of the Bath — Hon. Companion / Hon. Knight Commander United Kingdom Most Excellent Order of the British Empire — Hon. Knight Commander Order of Leopold — Grand Officer Kingdom of Belgium Cross of War 1940-1945 — Palm National Order of the Legion of Honour — Grand Officer French Republic Cross of War 1939-1945 — Palm Order of Orange-Nassau — Grand Cross (more evidence needed) Kingdom of the Netherlands Order of the Oak Crown — Knight Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Luxembourg War Cross (more evidence needed) Order of Suvorov — First Class Soviet Union

Identification Badges [[File: First United States Army Shoulder Sleeve Insignia - Former Wartime Service patch Other Accoutrements Three Overseas Service Bar Two Overseas Service Chevron Miscellaneous Awards & Honors Judge Elbert P. Tuttle Distinguished Achievement Award, 1942 TIME Magazine Front Cover Vol. 94, 1944 5th Guard Army Commemorative Medal & Plaque, 1945 Southern Cross of Honor, 1945 (United Daughters of the Confederacy) Commemorative Medal from New York Mayor William O'Dwyer, 1949 Fort Leavenworth Hall of Fame Inductee, 1976 Perry, Georgia's "General Courtney Hodges Boulevard" is named in his honor Fort McPherson's "Hodges Hall" is named in his honor Rock Island Arsenal's "Hodges Conference Room" is named in his honor

Battles/Wars Participation

Mexican Expedition (15 Mar 1916 - 08 Jan 1917)

World War I (06 Apr 1917 - 11 Nov 1918)

• European Theatre
  • Hundred Days Offensive
    • Lorraine 1918 ☆
      • Anould Sector
      • Saint-Dié Sector
      • Villers-en-Haye Sector
    • Battle of Saint-Mihiel ☆ (Silver Star Medal)
    • Meuse-Argonne Offensive ☆ (Distinguished Service Cross)

Aftermath of World War I (01 Dec 1918 - 03 Jul 1919)

• Occupation of Trieve, Germany (12.01.1918 - 03.09.1919)
• Occupation of Luxembourg (03.09.1919 - 07.03.1919)

World War II (08 Dec 1941 - 02 Sep 1945)

• European Theater of Operations
  • West European Campaign
    • Invasion on Normandy ☆ △
    • Operation Overlord / Battle of Normandy ☆
      • Falaise pocket
    • Allied advance from Paris to the Rhine ☆
    • Battle of Aachen (Bronze Star Medal)
    • Battle of Hürtgen Forest
    • Operation Queen
    • Battle of the Bulge ☆
    • Western Allied invasion of Germany ☆
      • Ruhr Pocket
  • Japan Campaign
    • Operation Downfall / Invasion of Japan (canceled)

☆ = Awarded service star for participation. △ = Arrowhead device

Foreign and Overseas Service

• 00 Oct 1911 - 1914 : Philippines
• 15 Mar 1916 - 08 Jan 1917 : Mexico
• 00 Apr 1917 - 1918 : Lorraine, France
• 01 Dec 1918 - 09 Mar 1919 : Trieve, Germany
• 09 Mar 1919 - 03 Jul 1919 : Luxembourg
• 03 May 1936 - 19 May 1938 : Philippines
• 25 Oct 1943 - 23 Nov 1943 : Sicily, Italy
• 29 Oct 1943 - 06 Jun 1944 : England
• 06 Jun 1944 - 24 May 1945 : France/Belgium/Germany
• 32 May 1945 - 08 Sep 1945: Pacific Ocean/Manila, Philippines

Quotes / Reflections

General Omar N. Bradley said that upon meeting Hodges at the Point, he was "an August figure like Marshall and a man I admired almost equally."

General Omar N. Bradley: called Hodges "my idea of a quintessential 'Georgian gentleman' and the most modest man I had ever met. A crack shot from childhood, he was then - and for years after - the Army's star in the national rifle matches."

General Omar N. Bradley: "I had implicit faith in his judgement, in his skill and restraint."

General Omar N. Bradley: "Out of all my Army commanders, he required the least supervision."

General Omar N. Bradley: ...Hodges is "essentially a military technician whose faultless techniques and tactical knowledge made him one of the most skilled craftsman of my entire command...a general's general." (said to Montgomery when he wanted Hodges replaced)

General Dwight D. Eisenhower: ..Hodges was "the quiet reticent type, and doesn't appear as aggressive as he really is. Unless he becomes exhausted, he will always wage a good fight."

General Dwight D. Eisenhower: ...that "Hodges is exactly the same class of man as Bradley, in practically every respect. Wonderful shot, great hunter, quiet, self-effacing...with a thorough understanding of ground fighting."

Ambassador Charles Lucet to Hodges wife, Mildred, on the passing of Hodges "I am deeply saddened by the shocking news of the passing of general Hodges. The unforgettable pages written by your husband in the history of the two world wars will always remind the French people that he was a remarkable symbol of the solidarity and warm feelings between our nations. We shall forever remember him with gratefulness and sorrow. Please accept in your bereavement the expression of my most sincere sympathy."

Senator Strom Thurmond (3.9.1961): "I seriously doubt if very many people in the United States know that Hodges’ First Army had under its command more divisions (18) than had ever been under the immediate command of a single army commander before or since. The First Army was the first army in Europe in more than name: The First was the first to arrive on the beaches of Normandy; the first to break out of Normandy, the first to get to Paris, the first to arrive in Germany, the first to cross the Rhine, and the first to meet up with the Russians."

Notes/Trivia

• His grandfather, James Hodges, served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War.
• A distinguished Marksman, he often participating in competitions and hunts.
• Was a member and later captain of the United States Infantry Rifle Team.
• A noted history buff, Hodges was particularly knowledgeable in the American Civil War.
• He was the first non-graduate and first dropout to teach at the United States Military Academy.
• Hodges was in a small group of high ranking WWII generals to have had actual experience commanding troops in combat.
  (Having commanded a Battalion & Regiment during WWI)
• Representative Elijah B. Lewis, of Georgia's 3rd District, appointed Hodges to the USMA
• Hodges has a noticeable scar of his right jaw, which he received from a kick by a horse in his childhood.
• A member of the Phi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.
• Throughout WWII, he sacked ten division commanders (Donald A. Stroh); and two corps commanders (Charles H. Corlett, John Millikin).
• Hodges refused two Purple Heart citations for being gassed during WWI (referring to the injuries as being 'sissy').
• As Chief of Infantry, Hodges promoted the adoption of the Bazooka, M-1 Carbine, M1 Helmet, the use of Airborne troops, and the Officer Candidate School
• General Courtney Hodges Blvd, Perry, Georgia is names after him.
• Hodges graduated from the Command & General Staff College in 94th place out of 258.
• He logged in 250 hours in flight as an observer while stationed at the Air Corps Tactical School.
• His wife, Mildred, was a descendent of General Robert E. Lee, who was among Hodges heroes.
• Hodges ate typical southern "soul food", would have a drink after dinner, and smoked Chesterfield cigarettes.
• His ancestors moved to North America from England in or around 1750.
• Served as an honorary pallbearer for Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., along with Generals Eisenhower, Bradley, Patton, and Collins.
• Hodges was scheduled to board a flight that crashed 17 July 1950, that killed Canadian Brigadier Harry H. Angle, but decided too cancel.
• List of Hodge's aide-de-camps: Major Kenneth C. Strother (1940-41); Major William C. Sylvan (1944-45); Lieutenant Colonel John D. Crowley, Jr. (1946-48);

Family

Gallery

Courtney H. Hodges (Image Gallery)

References

• Normandy to Victory: The War Diary of General Courtney H. Hodges and the First United States Army (William C. Sylvan)
• Courtney Hicks Hodges: From Private to Four-star General in the United States Army (Stephan T. Wishnevsky)
• Courtney Hodges: Modest Star of World War II (G. Patrick Murray)
• A Command Post at War: First Army Headquarters in Europe, 1943-1945 (David W. Hogan, Jr.)
• Eisenhower's Lieutenants: The Campaign of France and Germany 1944-1945 (Russell R. Weigley)
• The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the United States Army
• Official Registers for the United States Army, 1908 - 1966 (Office, the Adjutant General)
• Courtney H. Hodges papers, Eisenhower Library
• http://generals.dk/general/Hodges/Courtney_Hicks/USA.html
• http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/chhodges.htm
• http://www.3ad.com/history/courtney.hodges/index.htm
• http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWhodgesC.htm