Courtney Hodges
| Courtney Hodges | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | January 5, 1887 Perry, Georgia, United States |
| Died | January 16, 1966 (aged 79) San Antonio, Texas, United States |
| Buried at | Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington County, Virginia, United States |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1906 – 1949 |
| Rank |
 General
|
| Unit |
 Infantry Branch
|
| Commands held |
X Corps Third Army First Army |
| Battles/wars |
World War I World War II |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Cross Army Distinguished Service Medal (3) Silver Star Bronze Star |
General Courtney Hicks Hodges (January 5, 1887 – January 16, 1966) was a decorated senior officer of the United States Army, most prominent for his role in World War II, in which he commanded the U.S. First Army in the Western Europe Campaign. In his career Hodges was a notable "mustang" officer, rising from private to general.
Hodges was born in Perry, Georgia where his father published a small-town newspaper. He attended North Georgia Agricultural College (now known as the University of North Georgia) before transferring to West Point. He would have graduated with the Class of 1909, but he dropped out after just one year because of poor test scores ("found deficient" in mathematics).
In 1906 Hodges enlisted in the United States Army as a private and was assigned to Company L of the 17th Infantry. He quickly rose to the rank of sergeant and he received his commission as an 2nd lieutenant in 1909 after performing well on a competitive examination. In his early career he served with future Army Chief of Staff George Marshall in the Philippines and future General George Patton in Mexico.
He served with 6th Infantry Regiment, 5th Division during World War I. Hodges rose to lieutenant colonel and commander of a battalion in the 6th Infantry, and earned the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism while leading an attack across the Marne River during the closing days of the war. After the war he was sufficiently well thought of that he became an instructor at West Point, even though he was not a West Point graduate.
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