William M. Hoge

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William M. Hoge (January 13, 189429 October 1979) was a general of the United States Army.

On graduating from West Point in 1916, William M. Hoge was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers and commanded a company of the 7th Engineers at Fort Leavenworth in 191718. During World War I, Hoge received the Distinguished Service Cross personally from General John Pershing for heroic action under fire as a battalion commander in the Meuse-Argonne offensive. During the interwar years, he graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and from the Command and General Staff School.

Hoge directed one of the great engineering feats of World War II, the construction of the 1,519-mile (2,450 km) ALCAN Highway in nine months. Later, in Europe, he commanded the Provisional Engineer Special Brigade Group in the assault on Omaha Beach. He then directed Combat Command B, 9th Armored Division, in its heroic actions in the Ardennes and in its celebrated capture of the Remagen Bridge over the Rhine. By war's end, Hoge commanded the 4th Armored Division.

During the Korean conflict, at General Matthew Ridgway's request, Hoge commanded the U.S. IX Corps. General Hoge achieved his senior command in the Army as Commander in Chief, U.S. Army, Europe. He retired from active duty in January 1955.

Hoge moved to his son's farm in Kansas in October 1975 and he died suddenly on 29 October 1979 at Munson Army Hospital, Fort Leavenworth.

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