Patriot John T. Jack Hodes, a Korean War wounded Army veteran, died April 16, 2012 at age 85. He was born at Fort Laramie, near Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1926 and grew up in an Army family (his father having been the late General Henry I. Hodes). Jack was a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Class of 1949.
He was wounded on April 4, 1951 at Chunchon, Korea when assigned to Company F, 8th Cavalry Regt., 1st Cavalry Division. He also had overseas assignments in Germany and Vietnam during his 30 years active duty before retiring in the grade of Colonel at Fort Hood, Texas.
At Fort Hood, Colonel Hodes founded and helped build the first two recreational horse stables at West Fort Hood and one at Fort Hood. After retirement in Killeen, he organized and founded the First Cavalry Division Museum at Fort Hood; he also earned a teaching certificate from Mary Hardin-Baylor and then taught math at Ellison High School for several years.
He later moved to Austin where he has been a member of Chapter 1919, the Military Order of the Purple Heart since 1998. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Alma Russ Hodes, and their eight children. Memorial Mass was held at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, Austin, Texas, and burial with military honors was in the National Cemetery at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.