Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Delk McCorkle Oden (13 July 191113 June 1997) was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

officer who served in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

and the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

Early life

Oden was born in

Gordon, Texas Gordon is a city in Palo Pinto County, Texas, United States. The population was 478 at the 2010 Census. Geography Gordon is located at (32.544121, –98.365978). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , a ...

. He enlisted in the Army on 1 July 1930. Oden attended

Marion Military Institute Marion Military Institute, the Military College of Alabama, (MMI, sometimes Marion Institute, Marion Military, or simply Marion) is a public military junior college in Marion, Alabama. Founded in 1842, it is the official state military college ...

Military career

Appointed to the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

, he graduated with a B.S. degree in 1937 and was commissioned as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 1 ...

of infantry assigned to the

27th Infantry Regiment The 27th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the "Wolfhounds", is a regiment of the United States Army established in 1901, that served in the Philippine–American War, in the Siberian Intervention after World War I, and as part of the 25th Infantr ...

in Hawaii. Oden returned to the continental United States in November 1939 and then served in the

7th 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, s ...

and

10th Cavalry Regiment The 10th Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army. Formed as a segregated African-American unit, the 10th Cavalry was one of the original "Buffalo Soldier" regiments in the post–Civil War Regular Army. It served in combat during t ...

s. He was promoted to

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

on 12 June 1940 and captain on 9 September 1940. In January 1942 he transferred to the 84th Armored Reconnaissance Battalion of the 4th Armored Division. Following promotion to major on 1 February 1942, he took command of the 704th Tank Destroyer Battalion in July 1942. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 21 January 1943 and his unit was responsible for testing the

M18 Hellcat The M18 Hellcat (officially designated the 76 mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 or M18 GMC) is a tank destroyer that was used by the United States Army in World War II and the Korean War. A top speed of up to was attained by keeping armor to a minim ...

tank destroyer, still attached to the 4th Armored Division. The 4th Armored Division began unloading at Normandy on 9 July. On 15 August he led ''Task Force Oden'' comprising the 704th and the 10th Armored Infantry Battalion and the 66th Armored Field Artillery Battalion as part of the attack on

Orléans Orléans (;"Orleans"
(US) and 35th Tank Battalion Military units *35th Fighter Wing, an air combat unit of the United States Air Force *35th Infantry Division (United States), a formation of the National Guard since World War I *35th Infantry Regiment (United States), a regiment created on 1 July 1 ...

, also part of the 4th Armored Division. During the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...

the 35th Tank Battalion was part of Combat Command A which was split into two task forces with Oden commanding another ''Task Force Oden'' which advanced towards

Bastogne Bastogne (; nl, Bastenaken, ; german: Bastnach/Bastenach; lb, Baaschtnech) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Bastogne ...

from

Wolwelange Wolwelange ( lb, Wolwen, german: Wolwelingen) is a small town in the commune of Rambrouch, in western Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Lux ...

along the Bastogne-

Arlon Arlon (; lb, Arel ; nl, Aarlen ; german: Arel ; wa, Årlon; la, Orolaunum) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in and capital of the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes, Belgium. With a population of just over 28,000, it is th ...

highway. On 28 March 1945, while leading the 35th Tank Battalion in combat near Guissen, Germany, he would be involved in actions leading to the award of the

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) *Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) The Distinguished Service ...

. From October 1945 to March 1946 he served as Chief of Staff of the 4th Armored Division. He returned to the U.S. and served as Plans officer on the General Staff at

the Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metonym ...

from April to August 1946. He attended the

Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., and the oldest perman ...

from August 1946 to June 1947. He served as Plans officer at the Pentagon again from December 1947 to August 1949. He attended the

Armed Forces Staff College The Joint Forces Staff College (JFSC), located in Norfolk, Virginia, was established as the Armed Forces Staff College in 1946 and incorporated into the National Defense University in August 1981. It educates and acculturates joint and multinat ...

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 cen ...

from September 1949 to January 1950. In February 1950 he was assigned to

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

, serving first as director of instruction at the Turkish Armored School until June 1950 and then as chief of staff of the U.S. military aid mission until June 1952. He was promoted to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

on 29 June 1951. He returned to the U.S. and attended the Army War College from July 1952 to June 1953. He was then assigned to

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

serving as Chief of Staff U.S. Forces from July 1953 to August 1955 and then as Army

attaché In diplomacy, an attaché is a person who is assigned ("to be attached") to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency. Although a loanword from French, in English the word is not modified accord ...

until October 1956. He returned to the U.S. and served on the Regular Army Augmentation Board from January to July 1957 and then attended the

Army Aviation School An Army Aviation School is a military educational establishment responsible for the training and development of the personnel and equipment of the aviation element in those armies that have a separate aviation branch. Tasks Army Aviation Scho ...

Fort Rucker Fort Rucker is a U.S. Army post located primarily in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was named for a Civil War officer, Confederate General Edmund Rucker. The post is the primary flight training installation for U.S. Army Aviators an ...

from September to December 1957. He commanded Combat Command A, 1st Armored Division from December 1957 to May 1959. He then served as assistant commandant of the Army Aviation School at Fort Rucker until June 1961. From June to October 1961 he served as a member of the Hoelscher Committee on reorganisation of the Department of the Army. He was promoted to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed t ...

on 22 August 1961. He then served as director of army aviation at the Pentagon from October 1961 to May 1963, and during this time he served on the

Howze Board The Howze Board was the informal name given to the Tactical Mobility Requirements Board created at the direct request of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara to review and test new concepts integrating helicopters as close air support into the Uni ...

. In May 1963 he was assigned to South Vietnam as Chief of the Army section of Military Assistance Advisory Group, Vietnam. In May 1964 he was appointed Commanding General, U.S. Army Support Command, Vietnam and served in that role until March 1965. He returned to the U.S. and served as Director of Officer Personnel of the Army at the Pentagon from April 1965. He served as Commanding General, U.S. Army Aviation Center, Fort Rucker from March 1967 to September 1970. He retired from the Army on 1 October 1970 as a Major General.

Later life

In 1973, he joined Bell Helicopter International and became the President and Chief Operations Officer. He left Bell in 1975, retiring in

Washington D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

Oden died on 13 June 1997 and was buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

on 23 June 1997. His wife Margaret Avery Oden (4 February 191415 May 2002) was interred next to him on 4 October 2002.

Decorations

His decorations included the

Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action * Distinguishe ...

(2),

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an ...

(2),

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

Soldier's Medal The Soldier's Medal is an individual decoration of the United States Army. It was introduced as Section 11 of the Air Corps Act, passed by the Congress of the United States on July 2, 1926., Appendix 5, p. 126. The Army' Soldier's Medal is equiv ...

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

(2),

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

(2) and the

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

(2).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oden, Delk M. 1911 births 1997 deaths People from Palo Pinto County, Texas United States Army soldiers Marion Military Institute alumni United States Military Academy alumni United States Army personnel of World War II Recipients of the Soldier's Medal Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Recipients of the Legion of Merit United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Joint Forces Staff College alumni United States Army War College alumni United States military attachés American Senior Army Aviators United States Army generals United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) People from Fort Belvoir, Virginia Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Military personnel from Texas