Gen. Hodges focus of Museum banquet

One of only two men to rise from private to four-star general in the history of the U.S. Army was honored at the Robert L. Scott Heritage Society Banquet at Museum of Aviation on June 1. Gen. Courtney Hicks Hodges from Perry was one of Gen. Dwight Eisenhower’s key generals during the European fighting in World War II. Hodges, who commanded the First Army during the 1944 and 1945 campaign in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany, is credited with recapturing more ground in battle than any other general in the war. Courtney Hodges Boulevard in Perry is named in his honor.

Former Georgia House Majority Leader Larry Walker served as master of ceremonies for the event sponsored by the Museum of Aviation Foundation and attended by approximately 90 Robert L. Scott Jr. Society members and guests. Former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn Jr., whose father grew up with Hodges, was the honored guest speaker. Nunn, now the co-chairman and chief executive officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative attended with his wife Colleen Nunn.

Other distinguished couples attending were State Sen. and Mrs. Ross Tolleson, Col. and Mrs. Mitch Butikofer, Perry Mayor and Mrs. Jimmy Faircloth, Warner Robins Mayor and Mrs. Chuck Shaheen, Centerville Mayor and Mrs. John Harley and World War II veteran Air Force Col. Crawford Hicks.

Also at the banquet were former Commanders of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center: Maj. Gen. John Paulk, Maj. Gen. and Mrs. “Newt” Nugteren and Maj. Gen. and Mrs. Bob McMahon.

Nunn recalled how his father was the Perry Mayor in May 1945 when General Hodges came home after the war to a ceremony attended by 3,000 Middle Georgians. His father and Hodges used to play war games together growing up in Perry.

Hodges who was born in Perry in 1887 served a total of 44 years in the Army. He commanded the U.S. Army Infantry School at Fort Benning from 1938 to 1941 and from 1942 to 1945 served under the command of Lt. Gen. Omar Bradley as the Deputy Commander of the First Army.

The First Army under Gen. Hodges had 18 divisions, the most divisions that were under the immediate command of any general in the European Theater. Elements of Hodges’ First Army were the first to arrive on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, the first to break out of Normandy, the first to get to Paris, the first to arrive in Germany, the first to cross the Rhine River and the first to meet up with the Russians. Hodges passed away in San Antonio in 1966.

Georgia Artist Tony Brown was commissioned to do a montage painting of Hodges career. The framed painting was accepted on behalf of the Museum of Aviation Foundation by retired Army Brigadier General Stewart Rodeheaver, a former Deputy Commander of the First Army, headquartered at Fort Gillem. Rodeheaver is also a former commander of the Georgia Army National Guard 48th Combat Brigade which saw duty in Iraq.

The Warner Robins High School Air Force Junior ROTC cadets served as banquet escorts.

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