Roll of Honor

Hodges, Donald N.

First Lt. Donald N. Hodges, age 24 of the U.S. Air Force, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Hodges of Lebanon was killed 29 OCT 1956 in the crash of a B-26 light bomber in South Georgia. The two other occupants of the plane, 2nd Lt. Bertel Carlson. 21 of Flushing, NY and 2nd Lt. David J Paul, 21, Cleveland Ohio, also were killed.

The plane with its pilot making a successful attempt to miss a school building as it hurtled toward the ground, wrecked between Pembroke and Bitchton, GA. The crash was about 100 yards from the school, then occupied by 210 children.

It is not known who was piloting the plane, which crashed shortly after taking off from Hunter Air Force base at Savannah. Cause of the crash was not determined. The Public Information office at Hunter Air Force base said the three officers were on temporary duty there from the Second Tow Target Squadron at Mitchel Field NY.

First Lt. Hodges was a graduate of Lebanon High school in the class of 1950. He also attended Middle Tennessee State College at Murfreesboro.

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