The Day I Fired Alan Ladd and Other World War II AdventuresUniversity of Missouri Press, 2002 - 131 pages "To perform heroically in a perilous situation is one thing, but I found that, in my case, the real difficulty was in getting myself into a spot where heroism was possible. Nobody on latrine duty ever got the Medal of Honor." This delightful memoir of A. E. Hotchner's World War II experiences explores a different side of the troubled war years. Hotchner, who grew up in St. Louis, was a rookie lawyer fresh out of Washington University Law School when the United States declared war. Like many others of his generation, he aspired to serve his country. He tried to enlist in the navy, first as a pilot and then as a deck officer, but he was rejected for faulty depth perception and flat feet, respectively. Drafted as a lowly GI into the air force branch of the army, he was accepted to bombardier school. But on the eve of his departure, he was ordered to write and perform in an air force musical comedy instead. He eventually went to Officer Candidate School and was assigned to the Anti-Submarine Command as a lieutenant adjutant, but just before his squadron's departure for North Africa he was detached and, despite knowing nothing about moviemaking, ordered to make a film that glorified the Anti-Submarine Command's role in combating U-boats.All through his four-year military career, despite his efforts to get into combat, fate and the military bureaucracy thwarted him. The author skillfully recounts the events of those years, describing the encounters he had with many unforgettable characters, including a footsore and sentimental Clark Gable and an inept Alan Ladd--best known as the star of Shane. Ladd, then a GI, did such a poor job reading the narration for Hotchner's film Atlantic Mission that Hotchner had to fire him. The author also describes his encounters with other well-known people, notably Tennessee Williams, with whom he attended a playwriting class at Washington University, and a wistful, vulnerable Dorothy Parker.Although much of Hotchner's memoir is lighthearted, it also provides a unique look at the impact of the war on everyday life in the United States. Hotchner's fast-paced prose makes this memoir an insightful pleasure to read. |
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Page 59
... squadron , sent for me . When I entered his office ( formerly the Plymouth's bar , called the Rock Room - Plymouth Rock , get it ? ) and found him inspecting my classification card , my heart plummeted into my GI socks . Oh , no , not ...
... squadron , sent for me . When I entered his office ( formerly the Plymouth's bar , called the Rock Room - Plymouth Rock , get it ? ) and found him inspecting my classification card , my heart plummeted into my GI socks . Oh , no , not ...
Page 60
... squadron Q No matter what the weather We're the men of derring - do ! And so forth . All that summer the cadets of squadron Q marched along the streets of Miami Beach , shouting the song with uninhibited gusto . Lieutenant Murray said ...
... squadron Q No matter what the weather We're the men of derring - do ! And so forth . All that summer the cadets of squadron Q marched along the streets of Miami Beach , shouting the song with uninhibited gusto . Lieutenant Murray said ...
Page 86
... squadron in action . Our orders attached us to a squadron of B - 24s that was about to embark . The squadron's air base was located in Sbeitla , Tunisia 86 A. E. HOTCHNER.
... squadron in action . Our orders attached us to a squadron of B - 24s that was about to embark . The squadron's air base was located in Sbeitla , Tunisia 86 A. E. HOTCHNER.
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A. E. Hotchner Air Force Alan Ladd anti-submarine army asked assigned Atlantic Mission barracks Barrymore beach Bernadine bombardier bomber bombs cadet camera Captain Young charge Chris Clark Gable classification card Colonel combat command couple crew Cysmanski deck depth charges Dick Powell Dorothy drill field Eads Bridge Eagle-Spiegel equipment eyes father feet felt film footage Gable Ginther girls Henry heroic Hitler Hollywood Hotchner hundred Inzoraan Jack knew lawyer Lieutenant look loop the loop Louis Louis Post-Dispatch magazine Marie mess halls Miami Miami Beach military Mitchel Field months Motion Picture Unit movie musical Myron Navy Air Corps Nazi never night North Africa officer outfit patrol penis performance plane played Sbeitla script Sergeant Sheppard Field ships Shirley songs squadron submarine Sylva Tina tion told took turned U-boats uniform United weeks Westover Field White Princess Wichita Falls write