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Henry Irving Hodes 'Hammering Hank' |
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Graduate, U.S. Military Academy, Class of 1920 Engagements: • World War II (1941 - 1945)• Korean War (1950 - 1953) |
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Biography: | ||||
Henry Irving Hodes Henry Irving Hodes was born on 19 March 1899. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy with the Class of 1920. 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 U.S. after receiving a head wound on 20 September 1944 that required hospitalization. Hodes became a Brigadier General on 25 January 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 1950-51; 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.Major assignments during his military career included: • Commander, 112th Infantry Regiment during World War II • Assistant Deputy 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 • Commanding General, 24th Infantry Division in 1952 in the Korea War • Commandant of the Command and General Staff College from 1952 to 1954 • Commanding General, Seventh United States Army from 1954 to 1956 • Commander in Chief, U.S. Army Europe / Commander, Central Army Group (CINCUSAREUR / COMCENTAG) from 1956-59; promoted to the four-star rank of General on 1 June 1956. General Hodes retired from the Army in 1959. Medals, Awards and Badges Distinguished Service Medal with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters Foreign Medals Distinguished Service Order (United Kingdom) Family He had two daughters and one son, Colonel John Taylor Hodes, US Army (Ret). John served in Korea and 3 consecutive tours of duty in Vietnam. Death and Burial General Henry Irving Hodes suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and died on 14 February 1962. He is buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, TX, in Plot B, 24-R. |
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Origin of Nickname/Handle: | ||||
This nickname was given to him during the Korean War. |
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Honoree ID: 254 | Created by: MHOH |