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Adapted from "Commander John D. Lodge, United States Naval Reserve, Inactive" [biography, dated 17 September 1958] in Biographies, 20th century collection, Navy Department Library.

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  • World War II 1939-1945
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John Davis Lodge

20 October 1903 - 29 October 1985

John D. Lodge was born in Washington, DC on 20 October 1903, son of George Cabot and Mathilda Elizabeth Frelinghuysen (Davis) Lodge. He was the grandson of the late Senator Henry Cabot Lodge. He received the degree of Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College in 1925 and later was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Law from Harvard University. During 1925 and 1926 he attended Ecole de Droit, Paris, France.

From 1929 to 1931 he was an attorney with the firm of Crovath, de Gersdorff, Swain and Wood in New York City. In 1931 he began his own practice. From 1932 to 1940 he was employed by motion picture companies in the United States, England, France and Italy, and for two years thereafter by the New York Theater.

He was appointed a Lieutenant in the US Naval Reserve on 19 January 1940, and was promoted to Lieutenant Commander, 29 May 1944, and to Commander 1 July 1950.

Reporting for active Naval service in August 1942, he was assigned to the Special Events Section, Public Relations Office in the Third Naval District, with headquarters in New York, New York. He remained there until April 1943 and in June of that year joined the staff of Commander Naval Forces, Northwest African Waters, as French Naval Rearmament and Naval Liaison Officer.

From 1 August to 10 December 1944, he had successive service as Executive Officer in the Office of the Senior US Naval Liaison Office, Algiers; as Assistant Liaison Officer on the staff of the US Naval Liaison Officer, French Ports; as Headquarters Liaison Officer at the US Naval Detachment, Toulon, France; and as Headquarters Liaison Officer on the Staff of the Commander Naval Advance Bases and Commodore Liaison, American-British Staff. During that period he also served as Public Relations Officer and Press Censor for the Sicilian Operation and for the landings at Salerno and Southern France.

He had the Naval Reserve Medal; the American Campaign Medal; the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal; and the World War II Victory Medal. He also had the Legion of Honor with the French rank of Chevalier and the Croix de Guerre, awarded by the French Government. In 1953 he received another foreign decoration: Grand Officer of the Order of Merit from the Republic of Italy.

He was a member of the Eightieth and Eighty-first Congresses, from the Fourth Connecticut District, and in 1950 was elected Governor of Connecticut. In 1953 he served as an Ambassador on special presidential missions to Puerto Rico, Panama, and Costa Rica, and in 1955 was appointed Ambassador to Spain.

He died in New York City, New York on 29 October 1985 and was interned in Arlington National Cemetery.

John Davis Lodge's tombstone at Arlington National Cemetery.
John Davis Lodge's tombstone at Arlington National Cemetery.
Published: Wed Mar 20 09:49:02 EDT 2019