Francis Dodd (general)
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (March 2013) |
Francis T. Dodd | |
---|---|
Born | Angola, Indiana | October 5, 1899
Died | March 5, 1973 San Antonio, Texas | (aged 73)
Place of burial | |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Army |
Years of service | 1923–1953 |
Rank | Brigadier general |
Battles/wars | World War II Korean War |
Francis Townsend Dodd (October 5, 1899 – March 5, 1973) was a
Early life and West Point career
Dodd was born in Angola, Indiana on October 5, 1899.[1] He graduated from the United States Military Academy in West Point, where he was a four-year varsity letterman in both football and track; as a halfback on the undefeated Army football team, Dodd was a team captain his senior year and caught the winning touchdown pass against Navy in the 1922 Army–Navy Game.
Army service
During Dodd's career in the Army, he received several
Korean War and Koje Island incident
In 1951, Dodd became deputy
In February 1952, Dodd was ordered from Seoul to take command of the Geoje POW camp on Koje Island (currently Geojedo or Geoje Island) island after a U.S. soldier had been killed and 138 POWs wounded when the inmates of Compound 62 attacked an infantry battalion sent to forcibly screen POWs to determine whether they were military prisoners or civilian internees. On May 7, 1952, Dodd visited Compound 76, one of the prison compounds under his command, to listen to complaints aired by the leaders of the camp. While standing near the gate of the compound, he and one of his subordinates were forcibly seized as the gate opened to allow a work detail to pass through. The subordinate grabbed hold of a gatepost long enough for the American guards to rescue him, but Dodd was taken into the center of the camp and held hostage.
For the next 78 hours, Dodd was in captivity. By his own admission he was treated well as hurried negotiations went on for his release. General Charles F. Colson was rushed to the island to take command, and he ordered a telephone rigged up to allow communication with Dodd. The prisoners' chief demand was essentially an admission that UN forces had been responsible for bloodshed in the camps. This demand was granted by Colson and Dodd was eventually freed. Before he was released, he managed to talk his way out of a ceremonial goodbye, during which, he later recounted, he would've been decorated with flowers and escorted to the gate between formed lines of prisoners.
After the Koje Island incident
General Clark chaired a board to review the incident. Both generals (Dodd and Colson) were criticized for handing a propaganda victory to the communist side rather than risk a forcible rescue of Dodd. Dodd was relieved of command and reduced in rank to colonel on May 23, 1952. Dodd was not informed of the board's existence, not allowed to appear before the review board, and was precluded from presenting any defense of his actions to the board. When Dodd requested a copy of the board's report, he was informed the material was classified as top secret and therefore was not available to him. He was forced to retire the next year.
He died at
Legacy
General
References
- ^ a b Assembly. Vol. 36. United States Military Academy Association of Graduates. 1977. pp. 123–124. Retrieved December 21, 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Francis T. Dodd". Tallahassee Democrat. San Antonio, Texas. March 6, 1973. p. 4. Retrieved December 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ISBN 978-1-78200-181-2.
- A photo of General Dodd
- "One-Star Hostage". Time. May 19, 1952. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.
- "International: Trouble at Koje". Time. June 2, 1952.