Courtney Hodges
Courtney Hodges | |
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First United States Army Third United States Army X Corps Army Ground Forces Infantry School, Fort Benning 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment | |
Battles/wars | |
Awards | |
Spouse(s) |
Mildred Lee Buchner (m. 1928) |
Born in
for extraordinary heroism.In 1943, he was sent to England to serve under General
Early life and military career
Hodges was born in Perry, Georgia on January 5, 1887.[2] He was the fourth of eight children.[4] The Hodges family traces its roots back to England and Hodges' branch arrived in America in 1750. After the American Revolution, they moved to Houston County, Georgia.[5] Courtney's father, John became the proprietor of the local newspaper, Houston Home Journal. Hodges attended Perry High School and graduated in 1903. Later he enrolled at North Georgia Agricultural College (now known as the University of North Georgia). He became a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. After his first year at North Georgia, he received an appointment to the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point.[4]
He would have graduated with the Class of 1909, but he dropped out after a year because of an inability to comprehend geometry. He then worked at a grocery store for a year.[6]
In 1906, Hodges enlisted in the United States Army as a private and was assigned to Company L, 17th Infantry at Fort McPherson, Georgia.[6] He quickly rose to the rank of sergeant, and in 1909 performed well on the competitive examination for prospective officers.[7] He was appointed a second lieutenant of Infantry in November, just a few months after his West Point classmates graduated, and was assigned to the 13th Infantry.[2][8] In his early career he served with the future Army Chief of Staff, George C. Marshall, in the Philippines and future General George S. Patton in Mexico.[4][9]
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Age 3
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Hodges family
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Perry School, 1902
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West Point, 1904, Official register
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Cadet Hodges, West Point, 1904–1905
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Conduct report, May 1905
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1909, Fort McPherson, Georgia
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1915, US Infantrymen, Florida
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Lt. Courtney Hodges
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Major Hodges
Pancho Villa Expedition, World War I and postwar years
Hodges served in
Hodges served with
After occupation duty in Germany, Hodges spent the years 1920 to 1924 on the staff at West Point before attending and graduating from the
For the next four years, he was a member of the Infantry Board at Fort Benning. Hodges then completed the United States Army War College in 1934. In 1938, he became an assistant commandant of the Army Infantry School, before becoming commandant in 1940.[2] While he was there he formed a friendship with Omar Bradley, who would feature prominently in Hodges's future military career.[12]
World War II
In May 1941 Hodges was promoted to
During Operation Overlord in June and July 1944, Hodges served under Bradley as the deputy commander of the First Army. In August 1944, Hodges succeeded Bradley as the commander of the First Army, taking over when Bradley moved up to command the 12th Army Group. Hodges served under the command of Bradley and General Dwight D. Eisenhower until Nazi Germany's surrender in May 1945. By the time he took command "it was the largest and most experienced American field army on the Western Front. Consisting of the V, VII, and XIX Corps and controlling nine divisions, it had approximately 250,000 men."[15]
Hodges' First Army moved quickly across France, helping to liberate Paris on August 25, 1944[16] and then led them through France, Belgium, and Luxembourg on their way to Germany. General Hodges' troops were the first Allied troops to penetrate Germany, having reached the German border (northwest of Trier) on September 11, 1944. These troops were the 5th Armored Division, part of Major General Leonard T. Gerow's V Corps.[17] During the failed British attack on Arnhem, Operation Market Garden, supply priority was given to the Anglo-Canadian 21st Army Group, and the First Army was diverted to the north of the Ardennes to stage limited attacks to draw German defenders south, away from the target sites.
Hodges' troops had a major role in blunting the
Before, during, and after the Battle of the Bulge, the First Army fought the Germans in the
By March 7, 1945, the 9th Armored Division of the First Army captured the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen.[20][21] The First Army was the first enemy of Germany to cross the Rhine since the Napoleonic Wars. By the time the bridge collapsed after 10 days, the First Army had built two heavy duty bridges across the Rhine and established a bridgehead 40 kilometers (25 mi) long, extending from Bonn in the north almost to Koblenz in the south, and 10 to 15 kilometers (6.2 to 9.3 mi) deep, occupied by five U.S. divisions. They advanced slowly, waiting for Montgomery and the 21st Army Group to launch Operation Plunder across the Rhine on 23 March.
Together with
Eisenhower referred to Hodges as the "spearhead and the scintillating star" of the United States advance into Germany, and sought to ensure that Hodges was properly recognised for his achievements despite "being seemingly overlooked by the headline writers."[25][24]
After the
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Lt. General Courtney Hodges
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US Army General Courtney Hodges (left) greets Soviet Army Major General Gleb Baklanov (right) after the meeting of Soviet and US forces on the Elbe
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General Courtney Hodges visited Perry, Georgia, in 1945.
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Courtney Hodges giving a speech, Perry, Georgia, 1945
Post-war life
After World War II, Hodges continued command of First Army at Fort Jay at Governors Island, New York, until his retirement in March 1949. He later acted as the Military Advisor to Sir Owen Dixon, United Nations Mediator to Kashmir.[26]
Personal life
On June 22, 1928, Hodges married a young widow, Mildred Lee Hodges (Mildred Lee Buchner). He reportedly courted her by inviting her along to walk his dog and go shooting. They had no children.[27]
Death and legacy
Hodges died in
In
Although he possessed fine military reputation as a firm and skilled commander, Hodges was quiet and little known to his troops despite significant efforts to enhance his image and popularity. In his postwar memoirs, Omar Bradley who knew Hodges as well as anyone, wrote:
A spare, soft-voiced Georgian without temper, drama or visible emotion, Hodges was left behind in the European headline sweepstakes. He was essentially a military technician whose faultless techniques and tactical knowledge made him one of the most skilled craftsmen in my entire command. He probably knew as much about infantry and training as any man in the army. But he was unostentatious and retiring, Hodges occupied an almost anonymous role in the war. Yet as a general's general his stature among our U.S commanders was rivaled only by that of
William H. Simpson. For Hodges successfully blended dexterity and common sense in such equal portions as to produce a magnificently balanced command. I had implicit faith in his judgement, in his skill and restraint. Of all my Army commanders he required the least supervision.[28]
Still, Hodges has been criticized for his performance during the Battle of Hürtgen Forest. One historian called it one of the "most ill-conceived and unnecessary offensives of the whole northwest Europe campaign", adding that Hodges "lacked tactical imagination" and that "it was a miracle that he retained Eisenhower’s confidence".[29]
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Headstone in Arlington National Cemetery
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Dedication, 1978, General Courtney Hicks Hodges Building, Georgia Veterans Memorial Park, Crisp County, Georgia
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Dedication, 1980, General Courtney Hicks Hodges Armory, Perry, Georgia
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Composite portrait of General Hodges at the Museum of Aviation
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Painting of General Hodges at the Perry Area Historical Museum in Perry, GA
Awards
Hodges' honors and awards included:[27]
United States
Distinguished Service Cross | |
Army Distinguished Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters
| |
Silver Star | |
Bronze Star Medal | |
Mexican Service Medal | |
World War I Victory Medal with three Campaign Stars | |
Army of Occupation of Germany Medal | |
American Defense Service Medal | |
American Campaign Medal | |
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
| |
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with five service stars
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World War II Victory Medal
|
Foreign orders and decorations
- Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire(United Kingdom)
- Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour (France)
- Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold (Belgium)
- Companion of the Order of the Bath(United Kingdom)
- Grand Officer of the Order of the Liberator San Martín(Argentina)
- Order of Suvorov (USSR)
- Order of the Oak Crown (Luxembourg)
- Croix de Guerre 1939-1945with palm (France)
- Croix de Guerre 1939–1945with palm (Belgium)
Distinguished Service Cross citation
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry) Courtney Hicks Hodges (ASN: 0-2686), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 6th Infantry Regiment, 5th Division, A.E.F., near Brieulles, France, November 2–4, 1918. Lieutenant Colonel Hodges personally conducted a reconnaissance of the Meuse River, to determine the most advantageous location for a crossing, and for a bridge site. Having organized a storming party, he attacked the enemy not 100 paces distant, and, although failing, he managed to effect the crossing of the canal after 20 hours of ceaseless struggling. His fearlessness and courage were mainly responsible for the advance of his brigade to the heights east of the Meuse.
Division: 5th Division, American Expeditionary Forces General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 3 (1919)[30]
Dates of rank
Insignia | Rank | Component | Date |
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No insignia | Cadet | United States Military Academy | June 16, 1904 (Resigned June 17, 1905.) |
Various | Enlisted | Regular Army | May 1, 1906 |
No insignia in 1909 | Second lieutenant |
Regular Army | November 13, 1909 |
First lieutenant |
Regular Army | July 1, 1916 | |
Captain |
Regular Army | May 15, 1917 | |
Major | National Army |
June 7, 1918 | |
Lieutenant colonel | National Army | October 31, 1918 [31] | |
Major | Regular Army | July 1, 1920 | |
Lieutenant colonel | Regular Army | October 1, 1934 | |
Colonel | Regular Army | October 1, 1938 | |
Brigadier general | Regular Army | April 1, 1940 | |
Major general | Regular Army | May 1, 1941 | |
Lieutenant general | Army of the United States | February 16, 1943 | |
General | Army of the United States | April 15, 1945 | |
General | Retired List | March 31, 1949 |
Footnotes
- ^ "Courtney Hodges". The Hall Of Valor Project.
- ^ a b c d e f g Sylvan & Smith 2008, p. 1.
- ^ Wishnevsky 2006.
- ^ a b c d English 2009, p. 95.
- ^ Wishnevsky 2006, p. 6.
- ^ a b c d Hannan 1999, p. 397.
- ^ "Biographical Note, Courtney Hicks Hodges". National Archives Catalog. College Park, MD: National Archives and Records Administration. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ Lincoln, Natalie Sumner, ed. (June 1921). "Work of the Chapters: General Stewart Chapter". Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine. Washington, DC: Daughters of the American Revolution. p. 341 – via Google Books.
- ^ Wishnevsky 2006, pp. 22–23.
- ^ "Army History: The Professional Bulletin of Army History". 1989.
- ^ English 2009, p. 95−96.
- ^ a b c English 2009, p. 96.
- ^ Taaffe 2013, p. 168.
- ^ English 2009, pp. 96–98.
- ^ English 2009, p. 98.
- ^ English 2009, pp. 108–109.
- ^ English 2009, p. 110.
- ^ Pogue 1945, pp. 378, 395.
- ^ English 2009, p. 128.
- ^ English 2009, p. 129.
- ^ Taaffe 2013, p. 288.
- ^ a b English 2009, p. 133.
- ^ Taaffe 2013, p. 292.
- ^ a b c English 2009, p. 134.
- ^ Morelock 1945, p. 299.
- ^ DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER LIBRARY, p/4
- ^ a b Congress 1966, p. 1149.
- ^ Sylvan & Smith 2008, p. 3.
- ^ Trigg 2020, pp. 13, 90–93.
- ^ "Distinguished Service Cross Citation, Courtney Hicks Hodges". The Hall of Valor Project. Springfield, VA: Military Times. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ Official date of rank of March 20, 1918
- ^ Official Register of Commissioned Officers of the United States Army, 1948. pg. 835.
References
- Hannan, Caryn (1999). Georgia Biographical Dictionary.
- Wishnevsky, Stephan T. (2006). Courtney Hicks Hodges: From Private to Four-Star General in the United States Army.
- Pogue, Forrest C. (1945). "The Winter Counteroffensives". The Supreme Command. pp. 378, 395.
- Congress, United States (1966). Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 89th Congress. p. 1149.
- Morelock, Jerry D. (1945). Generals of the Bulge: Leadership in the U.S. Army's Greatest Battle. p. 299.
- Sylvan, William C.; Smith, Francis G. Jr. (2008), Greenwood, T. (ed.), Normandy To Victory, University Press of Kentucky
- ISBN 978-0-8117-0501-1.
- Taaffe, Stephen R. (2013). Marshall and His Generals: U.S. Army Commanders in World War II. OCLC 840162019.
- Trigg, Jonathan (2020). To VE-Day through German Eyes: The Final Defeat of Nazi Germany. Stroud UK: Amberley. ISBN 978-1-4456-9944-8.