Okay. I tried to find my previous post but no luck.
I was researching my Dad's WW2 unit, the 328 Field Artillery, and I met a son of one of the officers of Dad's battery. His son sent me a lot of info and photos. This friend also relayed the story that his father attended OCS at Fort Sill to become an artillery officer. Among the men in his class were a future TV actor and
Shelby Foote. His Dad and both men were sent to Camp Shelby, Miss., to be assigned to an artillery battalion undergoing training and needing officers. But he wasn't really sure as both of us were trying to verify the "stories" that our Dad's told us.
So I pondered on how I could find out if
Shelby Foote was an artillery officer and did attend Camp Shelby. I mentioned this to a SCV Commander and his response was: "Call him up and ask him".
I was like What!! He said that Shelby Foote would answer my questions. I thought this was impossible because Foote was NOT known to attend SCV meetings or Civil War reenactments---I thought he was either a loaner or a celebrity and didn't want to be bothered.
I got the number from the SCV commander and rang him up. We had a discussion about his military service.
Foote confirmed that he attended OCS at Fort Sill and graduated in Class #8 in 1942. That is
Shelby Foote in the class photo that my friend had sent me. He is
#19.
After OCS, Foote did go to Camp Shelby where he was assigned to one artillery unit and then another but not to my Dad's 328FA. He eventually became a member of the
50 Field Artillery Battalion and was under the command of General Patton. While in England,
Foote took leave and traveled to Ireland which was beyond the limit of authorized travel. I'm not sure if he was court martialed or what but he eventually resigned his commission. He didn't tell me much about this. Some websites say he later enlisted in the US Marines and performed guard duty somewhere in California.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
My friend's Dad is #12 Capt Wm Dempsey. He became a lawyer and I think a Dustrict Attorney for Long Island area in NY.
Other OCS graduates who were assigned to my Dad's 328 FA Btn were;
#5 George Brehm
#21 Harold E Goodwin
#25 E O Kassman
The officer identified as #2 E B Andrews is beieved to be the Actor Edward Andrews who played a lot of comedy and also a naval commander in "Tora, Tora, Tora". But I have not confirmed this is really him.