Officer Candidate School in 1942

Qualifications for OCS included an AGCT score in one of the top two brackets, “proven leadership ability,” and completion of basic training.⁵ Roughly 75 percent of candidates graduated by performing adequately in academics, cadre evaluations, and peer ratings.⁶ Graduates received a commission as a Second Lieutenant and, informally, a “90-Day Wonder” moniker. Although many performed well in time, 90-Day Wonders routinely inspired complaints among noncoms because they rarely arrived at units with the tactical competence to lead men in battle.

Four pathways existed to entering the officer class: the United States Military Academy, Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs, direct commissioning, and Officer Candidate Schools (OCS). Combined, the first three produced less than half of the officers during WWII. The most common pathway was an OCS program. Created in 1941, OCS turned enlisted men into officers through twelve- to seventeen-week courses. It also provided a bridge across the officer-enlisted social chasm, though crossing opportunities narrowed in late 1943 to prevent a junior officer surplus.

Citation: Gatzemeyer, Garret. “Assignment & Promotion.” The American Soldier in World War II. Edited by Edward J.K. Gitre. Virginia Tech, 2021. https://americansoldierww2.org/topics/assignment-promotion

Citation: Veteran Voices Military Research. (n.d.). A Visual Guide to U.S. Army Air Forces Rank Insignia. World War II Resources. Retrieved 2023, from https://veteran-voices.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/WWII-US-Army-Air-Forces-Rank-Insignia.pdf

The following object description information includes basic elements from the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI).  An additional notes field is included to list dates from the actual letter, envelope postmark locations, and any other identifying details. 

• Contributing Institution - Piedmont Historical Preservation Society
• Collection Name - Margaret Payne Collection
• Language - English
• Rights - Copyright held by the Piedmont Historical Preservation Society; no reproduction without written consent from the Piedmont Historical Preservation Society.
• Notes – Handwritten letter dated January 25, 1943, two pages. Includes envelope, postmarked January 26, 1943, 4:30PM, from Greenville, SC.

The Battle of Stalingrad

At the time John writes this letter, the Battle of Stalingrad had been raging for five months and would end eight days later, on February 2, 1943.  Described as one of the most significant battles on the Eastern front, Stalingrad was Hitler's move to capture the oil-rich areas of the Caucasus and ensure the availability of raw materials needed to continue with the war.  Additionally, capturing Stalingrad would have been a major propaganda coup for the Nazis, as the city bore the name of Russia's leader. 

The fighting in Stalingrad was some of the most intense urban warfare ever seen.  Aerial bombardment, followed by artillery shelling and tanks escorting infantry, snipers placed on rooftops and around the city, and both sides battling street by street to occupy territory resulted in huge numbers of casualties, both military and civilian.  The Modern War Institute places the death toll at approximately 1.2 million lives.  

Red Army troops storming an apartment block in Stalingrad during the second world war. Photograph: Georgi Zelma/Getty Images

Citations: 

Wheatcroft, Geoffrey. "The Myth of the Good War." The Guardian. December 9, 2014. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2014/dec/09/-sp-myth-of-the-good-war

Spencer, John and Jayson Geroux. "Case Study #1 - Stalingrad." Urban Warfare Project Case Study Series, Modern War Institute at West Point. June 28, 2021. https://mwi.usma.edu/urban-warfare-project-case-study-1-battle-of-stalingrad/ 

Interfaith Marriage

Protestant writers on this subject urge that Protestant youth be shown the dangers involved in a marriage with Roman Catholics and that a program of education in this direction be diligently fostered in all Protestant churches.

Citation: Odom, R. L. (Ed.). (n.d.). When a Protestant marries a Roman Catholic. Ministry Magazine. Retrieved April 10, 2023, from https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1946/01/when-a-protestant-marries-a-roman-catholic