HomeMy WebLinkAboutWilliam Hodge, Brazos Valley HeroesOne in a series of tributes to members of "The Greatest
William E. "Bill" Hodge spent a 40 -year career as a coach, teacher
antl principal in Me Bryan school system. History was the subject he
taught and whenever Te history lessons got to the WWII em, the kids
always asked ff he was In the war? He would reply: Yes.
'They would then ask. 'Did you shoot anyone? I always sad,
'Yes. thousands.' which always shacked same and caused disbelief in
others. Than I told them I was a medical corpman and gave shots M
thousands of guys during the war"
In 1940 BIII Hodge was a 1 &year-dd graduate of Somerville High
in Somerville and was awarded a scholarship from Hoverer Norton,
coach of the 1939 tripodal champion Aggie barbal team, to pay fo rt-
ball and baseball for Texas ABM University
"k was a real honor to W recruited by coach Norton and to get
to play with all those great gqaagyers of that time — Jahn KIm h,
"Boots" Simmons, Marshall Roolrefte. Chip TO Jr. antl Martin Ru y
— even though as a freshman you were nothing mere than a block-
ing dummy.
"I had attended the free movie at Bi ten Hall, where Rudder Au-
ditorium now We when mtumiw to my tlorm, guys came running
saying the Jape bad bombed Pear( Harbor. I didn't know where Pear(
Haittor was a the time.
"Right away guys stated volunteering. I had four friends from
Somenhlle that were going to go to Houston and join the Marines and
I wanted to go with them. I want to my parents to ask their pel'olssion
since I was 17 at the time and they would need to sign for me. My
parents refused, saying Me military) would came for are when they
headed me. All bur of my ldands jarred the Marnes and ware In the
imasion of the Guadacanal and other battles In the Pacific. They all
made it home but I don't know If I would have it my parents had can -
sentad. They probably saved my life."
After Hodge broad! 18. he was dretted and sent to Camp Waters
in Mineral Walls where he underwent severs! test. He had been in the
Indantry al ABM and tflaught that was where he would end up, but be
was serf him to Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Aberdeen. Maryland for
bomb disposal loaning. He developed pneumonia and had to drop out
of tminingg�� eventuay being sent for corpmsn Iranirg at O'Reilly Hos-
pital in Spnr ehab, Mo. From there he was sent to Ft. Lewis, Wash.,
and then with his unit to Boston for shipment to Europe.
"We boarded and at night con the next morning l saw more When
than I thought existed In the world We convoyed to Weymouth, Eng-
IaM, and then Le Ham e. France. Then, up the Seine River by twat and
finally hacked to Bun sen; where we were attached to the 3rd Army.
My medical derachmere eventually ended up In a chateau outside of
Pads.
'Doe day I and another guy were told by our commanding officer
— a permit — to go to Rhoades, and get the unit sane liquid mesa-
theme. We drove our jeep into Me tunrre5 under Rheerrs where they
stored their wince to keep h cool. It was my first experience with adrhre-
in package store. When we got back, people were firing their rifles
saying the war was over.
"What we didn't know was while we were dining under Rheems
collecang wlna, Bananas Faenhowec Montgomery and the German
generals ware agreeing to peace terms above us. We loaded up and
bea ded to Pans. You talk about same happy people. That was onewild
and joyous time in Pans."
Such after, Hodge and his detachment boarded a ship in Mar-
seilles far what they thought would be a trip home.
"We thought we were heading to New York but Me sun wasn't
In the right position. When we got to the Panama Cartel, we realized
where we were headed, It took six weeks to get to Manila Bay in the
Philippines. Before we bit the ship, we had to take the red crosses off
our helmets and uniforms because we were told the Japanese used the
reel crasser as targets."
The Japanese were being rounded up, but Mere were packets of
Japanese resistance.
"We ended up at Be in.Thefirs[Mingtsawwasbulkbzersolg-
girg mass groves for the dead. mostly Japerame. We mined onto the
beaches to prepare fa the invasion ch Japan and we set up oa medical
tent to treat the side and some wounded. We had not taken the red
cross off Me tent and we soon started to see sunlight coming Trough
holes in the roof. It seems Tat the Japanese that were left In cur area
were using that arse as a target as we had been told.
"I drove ambWa t a Mania's Nichols . I and p here.! saw
a a shi alr re Owe fly in that had been painted wh b arf found out later that
moss him, Owe General Douglas MaWTUr had sent fly Japanese
emissaries back ! negotiate s ab r. When g l e hook, people
were nng rifles t in the air, again n caeb bacrit o the war bang over I had
i
been n close proximity to the surterMa of Germany anal Japan."
Hodge spent some time as part of the occupying farces in Japan
but was eventually discharged at Camp Fannin in Tylca, Texas.
"There was a guy there with a plane held together with bailing
wine, offering rides home. He wanted! $20 per person and mould carry
thros. I wanted to get home real bad so throe of us — one from Hous-
ton, one from SMUlenberg and me from Somerville — pad our money.
He flew to Emonam and from there I hitchhiked home.
'Th. due I C=th to Somerville was with Chip Robot Sr. HIS sons
Jce and Chip Jc had also played at ABM, but Jae had been killed atihe
Battle of the Bulge. I told him I was real sorry about Joe and he sou he
was glad I topped home. He took rtre home but ha wouldn't come In.
"Looking back, I Mink a we had a media then like we old today, we
might have be the war. The press in our day areheed we were doing
the night Ming and Ted to help,
"This article Is entified Heroes and I know I'm not ono but I had
hi cleashase, from Somarvilld who were: tee Barton, who was killed
an Saipan. and Sound Campbell, who was killed at Saes, holy. They
wN always be heeks."
BIII Hodge's name can be, found an the Brazos Valley Veterans
Memorial. For male information, to makes contribution, or If you kr ew
a World War II veteran whose story needs to be told, contact the BWM
at www.veterersmartpnal.org w Bill Youngkin ar (979) 260 -7030.
The Ea gle
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