Years of service 1920-1959 | Name Henry Hodes | |
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Allegiance United States of America Battles/wars World War IIKorean War Died February 14, 1962, San Antonio, Texas, United States Similar People Cleto Rodriguez, Lucian Adams, Henry Terrell - Jr, Louis R Rocco, Cecil H Bolton | ||
Henry Irving Hodes (March 19, 1899 – February 14, 1962) was a United States Army four-star general who served as Commander in Chief, U.S. Army Europe/Commander, Central Army Group (CINCUSAREUR/COMCENTAG) from 1956 to 1959.
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Military career
Hodes graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1920. In addition to commanding U.S. Army Europe, he also commanded the 112th Infantry Regiment during World War II, the 24th Infantry Division in 1952 in the Korea War, served as Commandant of the Command and General Staff College from 1952 to 1954, and was Commanding General, Seventh United States Army from 1954 to 1956.
Other assignments included Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Army from 1945 to 1949, Assistant Commanding General, 1st Cavalry Division in 1949, Assistant Commanding General, 7th Infantry Division in 1950, Deputy Commanding General, Eighth United States Army in Korea in 1951. Hodes retired from the Army in 1959. He died in 1962 and was buried in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.
Short biography
Gen Hodes began his military career in the horse mounted cavalry, in the Wyoming and Texas wilderness. He led the US Army into the mechanized age of trucks, cars, jeeps, tanks, and airplanes. He attempted flying, but gave it up after a couple of crashes. His military career accelerated in World War II, which found him in the middle of war planning in Washington DC.
He was wounded twice in World War II, while serving with the 112th Infantry Regiment in France and Belgium. He returned to the war after receiving a shoulder wound, but was sent back to the US after receiving a head wound (Sept 20, 1944), which required hospitalization. Hodes became a Brigadier General on Jan 25, 1945.
He served in the Korean War (1950–53), where he was given the nickname, “Hammering Hank”. He served first as a field commander and later as a representative at Panmunjom – the Armistice Agreement with North Korea. His assignments during the war included Assistant Commanding General 7th Division from 1950 to 1951; Deputy Commanding General 8th Army, [Korea] 1951-52; and Commanding General 24th Division in 1952.
After serving in Korea, he returned to Germany. His service in post-war Europe was vital in the rebuilding efforts and designing defensive strategies opposite the communist Russians in East Germany and the Czech Republic, during the early 1950s.
He retired after serving more than 40 years in the US Army. He suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and died at the age of 62 in 1962.
He had two daughters and one son, Col John Taylor Hodes, US Army (Ret). John served in Korea and 3 consecutive tours of duty in Vietnam.