31 Facts About Courtney Hodges

General Courtney Hicks Hodges was a decorated senior officer in the United States Army who commanded First US Army in the Western European Campaign of World War II.

Courtney Hodges joined the Army in 1906 as a private, rapidly advanced into the noncommissioned officer ranks, and obtained a commission after passing a competitive examination in 1909.

Courtney Hodges was a battalion commander in France during World War I, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism.

Courtney Hodges was deputy commander of First Army during the D-Day invasion.

Courtney Hodges was born in Perry, Georgia on 5 January 1887.

Courtney Hodges became a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.

Courtney Hodges would have graduated with the Class of 1909, but he dropped out after a year because of an inability to comprehend geometry.

Courtney Hodges then worked at a grocery store for a year.

In 1906, Courtney Hodges enlisted in the United States Army as a private and was assigned to Company L, 17th Infantry at Fort McPherson, Georgia.

Courtney Hodges quickly rose to the rank of sergeant, and in 1909 performed well on the competitive examination for prospective officers.

Courtney Hodges served in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in San Antonio, Texas and in the Philippine Islands.

Courtney Hodges recorded a footnote in history when he was detached to rescue a stranded aviator, the first such rescue mission in US military aviation history.

Courtney Hodges served with 6th Infantry Regiment, 5th Division, during World War I, which America entered in April 1917.

Courtney Hodges rose to lieutenant colonel and commander of a battalion in the 6th Infantry, in the St Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne campaigns of 1918.

Courtney Hodges then served as an instructor at the United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia until 1926, and in a similar capacity at the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell field, Alabama until 1929.

Courtney Hodges then completed the United States Army War College in 1934.

Courtney Hodges was given various assignments, including Chief of Infantry, until he received command of the X Corps, which was stationed stateside, in 1942.

General Courtney Hodges' troops were the first Allied troops to penetrate Germany, having reached the German border on 11 September 1944.

Courtney Hodges' troops had a major role in blunting the Wehrmacht's major counteroffensive in the Ardennes: the Battle of the Bulge.

Courtney Hodges led First Army to liberate most of Luxembourg in three days, from 9 September through to 12 September 1944.

Courtney Hodges was promoted to the rank of four-star general on 15 April 1945, thus becoming the first of two soldiers in the history of the United States Army to make their way from private to general, the other being Walter Krueger who served in the Southwest Pacific Theater.

Courtney Hodges was one of the very few individuals present at the surrenders of both Nazi Germany in Reims, France, and of the Japanese Empire at Tokyo Bay.

Courtney Hodges later acted as the Military Advisor to Sir Owen Dixon, United Nations Mediator to Kashmir.

On 22 June 1928, Courtney Hodges married a young widow, Mildred Lee Courtney Hodges.

Courtney Hodges reportedly courted her by inviting her along to walk his dog and go shooting.

Courtney Hodges was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 2, Grave 890-A.

Courtney Hodges was essentially a military technician whose faultless techniques and tactical knowledge made him one of the most skilled craftsmen in my entire command.

Courtney Hodges probably knew as much about infantry and training as any man in the army.

For Courtney Hodges successfully blended dexterity and common sense in such equal portions as to produce a magnificently balanced command.

Still, Courtney Hodges has been criticized for his performance during the Battle of Hurtgen Forest.

Lieutenant Colonel Courtney Hodges personally conducted a reconnaissance of the Meuse River, to determine the most advantageous location for a crossing, and for a bridge site.