An Officer and A Gentleman
In December 1941 Bill Clark had just started his junior year at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. This was an awkward position to be in at the start of a war. He was old enough that he had become eligible for the draft. The Selective Service Act of 1940 had set the draft age at 21 and the draft boards were inducting most eligible men within a year of their 21st birthday. In the months prior to the United States actually entering the war draft boards might on a case-by-case basis delay calling up college men if they were a couple of months away from graduating but unlike the Cold War Era selective service act there was no provision for student deferments. Then as always draftees were treated as bodies to be sent where manpower was most needed with little regard given to the training, talents, or desires of the individuals involved. The local draft boards themselves were assigned quotas by the Selective Service Commission. With the outbreak of hostilities these quotas increased placing more pressure on the local boards to produce numbers of bodies. This translated into boards being even less inclined to letting a young man complete college than before..
In contrast to the Selective Service Commission's fixation on physically qualified bodies the U.S. Navy was looking for something else to fill its officer ranks. A bachelor's degree had always been a requirement for a young man seeking a commission direct from civilian life. This was in part because those with degrees were better able to handle the technical aspects of the job. But, to a greater extent college graduates, prior to the end of World War II, were an elite in this country. These were gentlemen of the upper class or as close to it as we came in this country. It is these technically competent gentlemen that the Navy wanted as officers. Most of these young men who opted for Navy commissions did so because they did consider themselves better than average and if they had to serve they wanted to serve where their intellect and abilities would be appreciated.
The Navy's experience from the First World War showed that as soon as the draft started colleges all but shut down because young men were being inducted right out of the classrooms. To preserve the pool of college trained men it needed to become future officers the Navy created a set of programs to get around the Selective Service. Since the only sure way to stay clear of the draft board was to enlist the Navy would enlist college students in the Naval Reserve but not call them to active service while they remained on school. A common feature of all the programs was that if the individual left school early or failed to achieve a minimum score on mathematics, navigation, and gunnery tests they would called to active service as enlisted personnel.
Bill Clark enlisted in Naval Reserve in April of 1942 in the V-7 program. V-7 candidates were juniors or seniors. They were allowed to complete their college education, at their own expense, and after graduation given the opportunity to qualify for a commission by completing the Officer Training Course (OTC) the Navy established. To help them prepare for OTC the participating colleges, not every college could offer the V-7 Program, would teach special mathematics and physics courses. The schools received funding from the Navy to teach these courses.
The V-7 Program and its companion V-5 Program for aviation candidates lasted into 1943 when the Selective Service Act was amended to draft 18 year olds. The replacement program, the V-12 Program, enlisted young men as freshman. V-12 was organized more like the Reserve Officer Training Corps that had existed at large universities since the 1920s. These units were smaller, sometimes as few as 50 and located liberal arts colleges. Unlike the earlier programs that were self-funded the Navy paid for the V-12 candidate's tuition and books. Also V-12's though at school were on active service.1
“Why Yes, I went to Columbia”
Bill Clark graduated in May 1943 and received his orders to report to active duty at the OTC located at Columbia University in June of that year. He and several other V-7s from the Northwest also received government travel vouchers to get them to New York City. They were to travel on the “Empire Builder” operated by the Great Northern Railroad. For some reason the railroad could not or would not provide space with the regular passengers for these travellers. A special coach car was attached to the end of the train for their use. A car that had obviously sat unused for several years and had not been cleaned once during that entire time including when it was attached to the passenger train for these officer candidates to use. The comments about this car were that it was so dirty that “you couldn’t see out the windows” and that “touching the seat cushions raised blinding clouds of dust”. Since the railroad hadn’t cleaned these young men decided to clean it themselves. This entailed among other things breaking into the porter’s linen closet for cleaning material. They used all the water, towels and sheets provided to that car for the four day journey to do. This didn’t go over well with the train crew but there was nothing they could do but refill the water tank and replace the linens at the next stop. The only time the young men the rear car were allowed out of their car was to eat and then they were escorted by the train crew to make sure they went straight to the dining car ate quickly and returned without disturbing the rest of the passangers.2
The Officer Training Course had two phases. The first of these lasted about 30 days and was the most academic intensive phase. The candidates had classes in gunnery where they were required to solve basic ballistic problems; in navigation where mathematical skill was again required; and basic organization regulations of the service. This was also the phase where they learned the third of the three ways to something: the right way, the wrong way, and the Navy way. At then end of this phase examinations were given and those who didn’t pass were sent to the fleet as enlisted ratings. Those who passes became midshipmen and entered the second phase of training.
One of the first things that happened in the second phase is that the new midshipmen got their first issue of uniforms. You can click here to see Bill Clark’s receipt for this first issue of clothing. Having passed phased one and learned the Navy way you’ll note that on the bottom of the receipt is says “DO NOT LOSE THIS RECEIPT” and over half a century later it was still in Bill Clark’s files. Additional uniforms were issued prior to detaching from OTC.
An officer had to have available any one of several uniforms required by regulations when he reported to a new assignment. This is because he had no idea, in advance, which uniform he was expected to wear as the "uniform of the day" upon his arrival. The possible selection of uniforms consisted of the following:
1) Service Dress Khaki consisting of a blouse (jacket), shirt, pants, black tie, brown socks, and brown shoes. It was topped off with a set of removable brass buttons, black shoulder boards with gold stripes, a cap cover for the visor cap and a garrison caps (in the same color and material as the uniform), proper rank and service pins, and a finally a brown web belt with brass buckle.
2) Service Dress Gray consisting of the same items and cut in the same style as the khaki uniform with a few modifications. These uniforms required black buttons, gray shoulder boards with black stripes, black socks, shoes, belt, and buckle. The insignia on the visor cap was of a dark material but the other accessories could be used on either colored uniforms.
3) Dress White a cotton uniform made up of a blouse (it had a "choke collar", so no tie or shirt was needed), pants, white socks, shoes, belt and brass buckle. It was prudent to have at least two sets as they got dirty very quickly. There was a white cover for the visor cap. Since this was a dress uniform, (the previous two were undress uniforms), white gloves were needed. The buttons, shoulder boards, and insignia of the khaki uniform were also worn with this uniform.
4) Dress Blue uniform of a heavier material than the others, usually serge. It consisted of a blouse with gold braid on the sleeves, pants, white shirt, black tie, belt, socks, and shoes, blue cover for the visor cap, and blue garrison cap. The insignia of from the khaki uniform were used on these caps. Gray suede gloves were also needed along with a black bow tie for formal occasions.
An officer also needed such things as: underwear, shaving gear, soap, tooth brush, and so on. Most officers had a raincoat with a zipper lining. If you were ordered to the North Atlantic a bridge coat was a necessity.
This was a considerable amount of stuff to be carried from one station to the next. At this time an item of luggage, the "Valpack", was introduced. It was the ancestor of the modern hanging garment bag. It was made of heavy canvas with lots of pockets and zippers. Uniforms were put on special hangers and the whole thing folded with many of the other items. This was not enough room for all the things listed above so an additional hard-sided suitcase was needed. When packed they weighed over a hundred pounds. They were very bulky and only with great determination could they be carried very far.
The course work during the second phase was less academic and more practical. The midshipmen learned about engineering and shipboard life on the training hulk PRAIRIE STATE moored on the Hudson River near Columbia University. They learned shiphandeling aboard a group of yachts that had been donated by their owners for wartime service. There were courses in leadership, discipline, and traditions of the service. In general the outline of instruction was similar to that followed at the Navy Officer Candidate School in the early 1970’s with one exception. OTC had courses in knowing the enemy. These were more propaganda than anything else to be sure these young officers left the school properly motivated.
Another aspect of the second phase of training is that the midshipmen were allowed off campus on the weekends. That is if they had done well in all their courses during the week and had no disciplinary infractions. If the record was clean they had from 1PM on Saturday until 4PM on Sunday away from the school and to themselves. When they returned on Sunday the Navy made certain they exercised their freedom of religion (but not freedom from religion) with mandatory religious services. All the midshipmen marched from Columbia University to Riverside Cathedral where they could choose to attend either the Catholic, Episcopal, or Jewish service. Having no strong religious conviction of their own Bill and his friends attended a verity of services but preferred the Jewish because they could sit through it all and keep their hats on.
After commissioning the new Ensign Clark, USNR, collected his 100 plus pounds of baggage and boarded another cross country train. His destination this time was San Francisco where he would wait his turn to ship out to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and his final duty assignment. At the time he left OTC his orders only directed him to report to Commander, Amphibious Force Pacific Fleet for further assignment. This basically meant after reporting in he’d be sent where ever they most needed a fresh caught Ensign. However, before he left California the Navy took one last opportunity to make his life more complicated.
When an officer reported for transportation overseas through San Francisco for the Central Pacific there was a surprise waiting for him. While he waited for his assignment to a ship, he would get orders to report the local issuing office for his "casual gear and clothing". Upon arriving at a Navy warehouse he spent the best part of a day having various parts of his body measured. By the time he was finished he had to call a cab to take him back to his quarters. He was now the owner of three very large heavy brown duffel bags. He had seen only the contents of one as things he was measured for were put in it. The others were prepacked, waiting for him. The three held equipment that, in the wisdom of the Navy, were things an officer would need to fight in the Pacific. Included were: a .45 cal automatic, complete with holster, gunbelt, ammunition, two cartridge clips in holder, canteen with cup in holder, first aid packet with holder, black USN jungle knife with sheath, two pairs of Marine field boots, "boondockers", (with the smooth side of the leather in so they were very comfortable), two sets of Marine fatigue uniforms with cap, Army folding cot, mosquito net, two Navy wool blankets, mattress, two mattress covers, bib overall rain pants, rain coat, "sou’wester" rain hat, knee-high rubber boots, two hand and bath towels, steel helmet with liner, and much more I've since forgot. No one could have carried one bag, let alone three.
The picture I leave you with is a skinny young man (Bill was six foot one and weighed 148 pounds) with protruding ears trying to carry himself with the dignity expected of a naval officer while hauling five large and heavy items of luggage. His only saving grace is that there were dozens like him on that ship to Hawaii so it was easy to get lost in the crowd.
1United States Naval Administration in World War II, Bureau of Naval Personnel, Part IV Training Activities Vol. IV College Training Programs. This is a collection of command histories from World War II that the Naval Historical Center had bound as an Administrative History for public use. The cover letter to this vol. is fro the Chief of Naval Personnel to the Director of Naval History and dated January 15, 1946.
2Telephone interview with Mr. Frnk Vincent April 27, 2004. Mr. Vincent was a V-7 candidate and Reed College graduate who participated in the Officer Training Course my father.