John Clifford Hodges Lee – Lieutenant General, United States Army

Born at Junction City, Kansas, August 1, 1887, he graduated from West Point in 1909 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant, Corps of Engineers, thereafter advancing to temporary Lieutenant General in 1944.

He served in World War II as Commander, 2nd Infantry Division, 1941-42, and for most of the rest of the war served as Commanding General, Services of Supply, European Theater of Operations, in which role he directed the largest logistical operation in history. Know as an excellent administrator, he was promoted to Lieutenant General in 1944 and made Deputy Commander of U.S. forces in that Theater.

A devout churchman, somewhat pompus in manner – his initials gave him the nicknames “Courthouse” and “Jesus Christ Himself” – he was conspiciously loyal to his staff and subordinates as well as higher command authority, though he sometimes would oppose the Supreme Commander on principle. While in command in Italy in the postwar period, he was the subject of attacks by newspaper correspondent Robert Ruark, who accused him of living in an excessively lavish lifestyle.

He died on August 30, 1958 and was buried in Section 2 of Arlington National Cemetery.

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