Welcome to the American Story. Stories about what it is that makes America beautiful.

Heartbreaking, funny, inspiring, and endlessly interesting.

This is Chris Flannery with the Claremont Institute.

I call this one Field Photo Farm.

Late in 1939, more than two years before World War II introduced itself to America at Pearl Harbor,

the eminent Hollywood movie director John Ford, who happened also to be an officer in the Naval Reserve,

began organizing and training what became the 11th Naval District Motion Picture and

still photographic group.

Their mission would be to record on film the history of the war that was coming.

The unit would eventually consist of about 200 men, 35 officers 175 enlisted men, all

recruited from the studios.

By spring 1941, the unit was at about 50% strength, with nine separate camera crews

already trained to do everything needed to document a war with motion picture or still cameras.

The Navy was not sure what to do with a lot of Hollywood amateurs.

The newly created Office of Strategic Services, forerunner of the CIA, was less hesitant.

On September 9, 1941, William Wild Bill Donovan, head of the OSS, wrote the Secretary of the Navy that he wanted John Ford put on active status and assigned to his office as soon as was convenient.

Two days later, Ford was inducted into the Navy as a lieutenant commander for the

duration of the emergency, which turned out to be nearly four years of war.

During that time, Ford answered only to Donovan and Donovan answered only to President Roosevelt.

Ford and his crews traveled the world from Midway to North Africa to Normandy, documenting the great battles of the war, often heroically.

Filming the Battle of Midway, Ford himself returned to his camera after being knocked unconscious by flying concrete,

only to be struck by shrapnel that ripped a three inch hole in his arm.

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