I am not questioning Mr. Ford's military service, but I am a little confused on some of this. I do not recall the Marine Corps serving in Europe during WW II. (Yes, I am that old.) But I'm willing to have somebody set me straight. And what's up with the Marine Corps to Navy and enlisted/commissioned switching?
"I am not questioning Mr. Ford's military service, but I am a little confused on some of this. "
There is confusion, I think the gist of it on this thread is true, but that people that have reported on it over his lifetime don't have the military experience to pin it down perfectly.
I have a great interest in a history like his, and so far I haven't been able to find a totally satisfactory version.
dighton's link in post 12 is a good read also.
There are some links that apparently confirm that Marines were in Europe during WWII, but they won't let me in to check the details.
seconded to the OSS
It's not all that rare for enlisted men to apply to and get accepted to OTS. And the switch from Marines to Navy isn't uncommon either. Now a switch from Navy/Marines to Army or Air Force would be strange.
He was probably OSS , and more than likely part of a Jedburgh team. Truly joint, fantastically brave people were in these small teams who advised and lead resistance organizations throughout Europe. Their fate , if captured ,was both gruesome and fatal.
I believe, from reading a bio on another thread, that he was in a combat camera group. Doesn't mean he didn't fight when someone was shooting at him, it just means his mission was to record the missions of others.