The Twenty Fifth Annual Kenneth J. Hadson Lecture: General Ken Hodson-A Thoroughly Remarkable Man

• Author: Major General Michael J. Nardotti, Jr.
• Pages: 03

JP*- Ladies and gentlemen, it 1s truly an honor for me to have thx opportunity to speak. It had been our intent at the 1995 Continuing Legal Education Workshop to honor General Hadson for his extraor. dinary lifetime of selfless service and his monumental contributions to our Army and our Corps. Being above all a man of great humihty, General Hadson was reluctant to be SO honored. At the time I pre->ailed upan him saying that we redly needed to do this for ourCarps and, for our Carps, he agreed. As all ofyau know, however, his health deteriorated. We did not honor him on that occasion and he passed away in November of 1995. It ie not my intention to do today what I would have done on that occasion m October There 16 much more to say today--and much more to remember

Many honors have been bestowed on General Hodson. This lec. ture has honored and will continue to honor him in ways that one speech could never equal. However, on this occasion, the lecture named in hie honor closest to his passing, I feel even more strongly that it 1% important to talk about him and what he did for all of US.

Sometimes the introductory comments about General Hadson that we've heard so many times became too familiar: The Judge Advocate General from 1967 to 1971, the first Chief Judge of the Army Court of Military Revieh, and a principle architect of the Military Justice Act of I96awhich created the independent judiciary, redesignated law officers to military judges, redesignated the old Boards of

* This ~ ~ [ ~ c l e ii an edited transcript of B lecture deliierrd on 26 Apnl 1996 by

hlaior General Michael J Nardmtfi Jr , The J u d e Advocate General. United States Arlhy to members of the Staff and Facult)- dietm&bhed wests. and oficers attend. ~ n g the 44th Graduate Course at The Judge Adiocafe Generals School. Charlolteauille. Vironia The Kenneth J Hodann Chair of Criminal Leu was eatab-liihed st The Judie Advocate Generds School an June 24, 1971 The chair wa8 named after hlaor Geneial Hadran who served 88 The Judge Advocate General, United Statea Army,from 1961 to 1971 General Hodson retired ~n 1971,but immedi- ately was recalled fa acti\e duty to 3sn.e ae the Chief Judge al the Army Court of ililitsry Revleu, He serwd in that pmpltion until March 1974 General Hodson aerved over thirt) bears on acfi~e duty, and was B member of the onglnal Staff and Faculty of The Judge Adioeare Generals School I" Charlotresvdle, Vr@nla When the Judge .4dvoiate General's Carps *a% sctivafed BJ B reemenf in 1986 General Hodson WBQ relecfed BJ tho Honoraw Calonel orthe Reglment

*. The Judge Advocate General. Lmted EtateiArmy

Review to the Court of Military Review, and created enhanced paw-ers for military judges to ensure the proper conduct of proceeding at courts-martial AI1 of this 1s very tme, but there is more to the story. On this OCCBEIOII, I think that it is entirely appropriate to talk not only about what he was able to accomplish, but the times in which he served and how his accomplishments continued to mean EO much, not just to judge advocates but to soldiers and the Army Upon his passing, a colleague from the American Bar Assomation. Dick Lynch, described General Hodson a6 B great friend and ab a thoroughly remarkable man. Allow me a few moments to tell you why.

To the extent that any af the observations I make today appear or seem to be particularly perceptive, I give all due credit to a former judge advocate, Colonel Bob Bayer. He undertook the oral history of General Hodson in 19il for the Army Center of Military History and created B transcript of interview6 conducted dunng December 1971 and January 1972. This work wa8 of immense help to me in gaming inmghts into General Hodson's views and recollections of almost twenty.five years ago.

By wey of background, It is important to understand General Hodson's beginnings. He is part of that umque generation that lived through the Depression, stepped forward to serve in World War 11, and for those special people who remained in military senice, con-tinued to deal with many challenging issues in an increasing complex Army and nation. It never was easy for him. His father died when General Hodson was sixteen. When the Depression hit soon thereafter, as he deacnbed it for his mother and two brothers and sister, "It was tough sledding."

There was a time when General Hodson did not know whether he would get to college, let alone law school. He was a good student. but the means ta make that opportunity available were at Some point questionable. He did get to college, however, through the generosity of folks who lived in his town. He was sven a $300 scholarship to enter the University of Kansas in 1930 to cove^ four years of education Obviously that amount did not go too far, and he had to work his way through college and law school. He raked leaves, cleaned basements, and washed windows. He even was a fiehing guide and horse wrangler in Jackson Hale, Wxoming. While he never said that he walked to school five miles in the mow, he did ride a small motorcycle from Lawrence, Kansas, to Jackson Hole, Wyommg, to work at that summer job.

Incidentally, he did take part in the ROTC program He entered ROTC at the urpng of a noncommissioned officer, whom he described as B "great salesman." He continued his Reserve activities

while he was in the practice of law m Jackson Hole, Wyammg. and that connection came to mean something very significant later

The time he spent in private practice LS important to note for two reasons: number one, it gave him an eminent sense of the prac. tical-that 16,

what is necessary to make the practice of law nork at ground level where people need help. He understood that point. and. by the way, he *'as happy in private practice and he intended to remain in Wyoming. If certain events had not occurred, he probably would have stayed there. He was in a practice with an elderly gentleman who was looking for somebody he trusted and liked and to whom he could turn over his practice Life was good and he enjoyed It. AE with many members of his generation, however, World Kaar I1 changed that life. and he was called to active duty in Yay af 1941.

The other point to note about his civilian practice was that It gave him B reference point. In the four years between his graduation from law school and the time he came into the military he did many things m ciwlian practice This understanding of legal practice inthe mvilian world--compared to the entirely different practice he had not anticipated in the Army, particularly in the area of military justicewas an important reference pomt for his later evaluation of and work within the mihtagv legal system

As you know, when he was commissioned, it was not 8s ajudge advacate, but as B Coastal Artillery Officer As he described it ~n1971, ,'In over thirty years of service, the hardest job that he ever had was a6 a battery commander in the Coastal Artillery." There were many difficult and unique challenges during that period of time One concerned his unit. In the days of the segregated Army, there were units with black and white soldiers and white cadre. and there were units with black soldiers and white cadre. He was in a unit with black soldiers and white cadre. This experience seared into his memory-not that he did not know this beforehand-the evils inherent in segregation. The deplorable conditions that It brought were evident not only in the fundamental unfairness of the concept, but also in term8 of what it meant in an organization like the Army and its ability to function properly.

General Hoddon was drawn into legal work in the Army because his unit was providing more than its fair share of court8-martial. His unit had ten percent of the troops and about reventy-five percent of the cases The commanding general of the Trinidad Sector, where he wa6 serving at the time, said to the regimental commander, 'You need to pay part of the bill. You need to provide some help " The reglmental commander knew Lieutenant Hodmn had mme legal experience and decided to allow him to perform fuunc-

tions as a lawyer, which he did vely well. M e n the regimental cam...