Generals who rose from the ranks of the 14th Infantry

General Campbell B. Hodges

Col. Hodges Career One Of Most Brilliant In US Army

Decorated with D.S.M. By Congress; Holds Foreign Orders

SERVED COOLIDGE AS AIDE-DE-CAMP

Was With 4th Infantry In Philippines; Is Kappa Sigma

            Colonel Campbell Blackshear Hodges was born in Louisiana, March 27, 1881.  Entering the United States Military Academy at the age of eighteen, he was graduated in 1903 and joined his first regiment, the 4th Infantry, in the Philippines.  In 1905 he returned to the States with the regiment and in less than three years accompanied the Fourth back to Manila.  Promoted to the rank of 1st lieutenant in 1907, he returned to his new assignment with the 20th Infantry in San Francisco.  Transferring back to his old regiment, the 4th, upon its return from foreign service, he was with it only a short time when he was detailed for duty in the Department of Tactics at West Point, where he served one year before going to Louisiana State University as Professor of Military Science and Tactics.
            Has an M.A. Degree
            It was while on this duty that Lieut. Hodges took a post graduate course of study and in 1913 was awarded the degree of Master of Arts.  He also taught Spanish at the University in addition to his military duties.
            Lieut. Hodges was offered a commission as Lieutenant Colonel 1st Louisiana Infantry, was mustered into Federal service in that capacity and while so serving was promoted to Captain in the Regular Army.
            Served in National Guard
            After returning from the border late in 1916, Captain Hodges was ordered to Washington for duty in the Militia (now National Guard) Bureau, and a few months later he was detailed on the General Staff.
            Things moved quickly in those days and when this mobilization of divisions began Major Hodges was sent to the 31st (Dixie) Division at Camp Wheeler, Ga. As Ass’t Chief of Staff, and for almost a year was Acting Chief of Staff of that Division, receiving promotion in the meantime to Lieut. Colonel.  Just before the departure of the division for France in September, 1918, he was promoted Colonel of the 122nd Infantry.  Although the “Dixie” Division reached France about six months before the Armistice, it never saw front line service as a division, as it was soon broken up, the fragments being used as replacements.
            Military Attache In Spain
            After a few months with the General Staff at G.H.Q., Colonel Hodges was ordered home for duty with the General Staff in Washington, then to the Bureau of Insular as Ass’t Chief for nearly two years.
            Relieved of his emergency rank of Colonel, he became a Major in the Regular Army in June, 1920.  In December of that year Major Hodges was again detailed on the General Staff serving with the 7th? Division at Camp Meade, Maryland, with American Forces at Coblenz, Germany, with G-3 in the War Department, and as Military Attache in Spain and Portugal.
            Returning from Spain in 1926, Major Hodges was sent to West Point as Commandant of Cadets, with the local rank of Lieut. Colonel.  While stationed there he received his regular promotion to Lieut. Colonel, that being the fourth time he had held that grade.
            Aide to Hoover
            Lieut. Colonel Hodges was detailed as Military Aide to the President of the United States in March, 1929, served in that capacity during all of President Hoover’s administration and for three months under President Roosevelt.  While aide to the President he took the Field Officer’s Course at the Chemical Warfare School, and also graduated from the Army War College in 1934.
            A trip to France, Belgium and England with the War Mother’s Pilgrimage during the summer of  1933 preceded his coming to Panama for duty with the 14th Infantry.  Here he served as Executive Officer of the Regiment and Commanding Officer, 3rd Battalion, before being promoted Colonel in October, 1934, and succeeding to the command of the Regiment in December, 1934.  Everyone is pleased that his tour of foreign service has been extended to Sept., 1936.  Col. Hodges has been awarded the following decorations:  Distinguished Service Medal (U.S.); Order of Military Merit (Spanish); Order of the Star of Rumania.  He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society; Member of Sons of American Revolution and a Kappa Sigma.

The above is the text of the newspaper clippings below....

 Lester Cundiff, Col. AUS, (Ret.):

Col. Campbell B. Hodges was Regimental CO in 1935-36.  I believe, but am not sure, that he became a Major General before retiring to become President of Louisiana State University, before WWII.

A long time ago I wrote you that I thought that Campbell B. Hodges had been promoted to General Officer rank.  I recently found a clipping that confirmed that.  He was promoted to Brigadier General on December 22, 1936.

Interestingly, he was promoted on the same order as two generals who later became very well known: Walter C. Short and Leslie J. McNair.



Thanks to Terry Bender, 1/14th Inf, for collecting and making this information available and for his dedicated efforts to preserve the history of the 14th Infantry Regiment.

Photo courtesy of the National Archives. 


Acknowledgements:
Generals who rose from the ranks of the 14th Infantry:  General Campbell B. Hodges
Copyright © 2013  14th Infantry Regiment Association
Last modified: January 20, 2013