[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 172 (Sunday, November 23, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2433]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




A HERO LEAVES BEHIND A LASTING LEGACY--GOD'S LOVE: REMARKS ON BEHALF OF 
                             ROBERT HODGES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. WALTER B. JONES

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 21, 2003

  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, last Monday was a sad day 
for Eastern North Carolinians and America as a whole. On November 10, 
2003, North Carolina lost her oldest living Veteran, Robert Hodges. 
When Mr. Hodges passed away, he was 115.
  I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Hodges at an event in his hometown 
just a few years ago. Even in the brief interaction I shared with this 
living legend, I was struck by his sharp mind and vitality. I can still 
remember Mr. Hodges singing ``Over There'' so beautifully . . . he was 
so lucid, his voice so clear, you would never have believed he was 
celebrating his 114th birthday.
  Born June 18, 1888, Mr. Hodges was not only North Carolina's oldest 
living veteran, he was one of America's longest living war heroes as 
well.
  Mr. Hodges had a phenomenal story. He was born in North Carolina's 
first official town, Bath. The grandson of slaves, Mr. Hodges shared a 
three-room house with his parents and 9 siblings.
  He worked the fields in rural Eastern North Carolina until 1918. At 
the age of 20, Mr. Hodges enlisted in the Army and went on to serve in 
France during World War I.

  After World War I, Hodges returned to North Carolina and married 
Malinda. The couple enjoyed 70 years together until her death at the 
age of 92.
  Mr. Hodges and his wife raised 7 children on their farm in Pamlico 
County, where Mr. Hodges worked until his poor eyesight forced him into 
retirement. The Hodges family still calls the Pamlico area home, with 
his surviving children living in Stonewall and New Bern.
  He was honored in 2002 with North Carolina's Order of the Longleaf 
Pine, the state's highest civilian order.
  While Mr. Hodges most certainly leaves behind an amazing personal and 
military history, I must say that in my opinion, the most significant 
legacy this hero left behind is a pure and stalwart love of Jesus 
Christ. Last year Mr. Hodges was quoted as saying, ``What I figure on 
is anything you can do for the Lord is all right.''
  Despite all his honors and all the attention he had showered on him 
through the years, Mr. Hodges always kept his heart in check. He knew 
that in the end, he would take nothing with him when he left this 
world.
  More important than all the military medals and awards was the love 
of Jesus.
  I believe wholeheartedly that the secret of Mr. Hodges long life was 
love of family and love of the Lord.
  That is why I'm confident that when Mr. Hodges closed his eyes to 
this world, he opened them in Heaven. And that, Mr. Speaker, is a 
reward well earned by Mr. Hodges' life lived by faith. From battlefield 
to his front porch, Mr. Hodges did it all for the glory of the Lord.
  I stand today in remembrance of this military hero and godly man. May 
God bless his soul, and the family he left behind.

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