I once read about a man who was 58 years old who before the United States entered the Second World War was a college professor and once the US entered it he was able to seek an age waiver from I believe the Secretary of the Navy or the Secretary of War himself to enlist. A year after enlisting he ended up becoming not just an officer but at the rank of a Colonel. I’m trying to find his name and who he was. If anyone here could help provide this or at the very least direct me to a source to try to find out the information I’m looking for would be greatly appreciated! Thanks everyone
Its going to be a general or an admiral. Not someone that joined up for the war. Many came out of retirement.
My first thought was Admiral Ernest King who was born in 1878.
A quick check reminded me of Fleet Admiral William Daniel Leahy (May 6, 1875 – July 20, 1959)
But there was probably someone less famous that served.
The individual I am thinking about definitely went into the Marine Corp at age 58.
My apologies, I was working on the wrong question. I was trying to answer the title of your Op and not the actual content.
No problem at all
I’m finding it hard to believe that a real Marine enlisted at 58 without any previous military experience. If you enlist you have to go to Boot Camp. Today the age limit for the Marines is 29 for Boot Camp with infrequent waivers up to 35 for those in exceptional condition. Now it’s possible that they made exceptions for direct commissions like the Army does. That is when they give commissions to doctors or lawyers or dentists to practice their profession. Not nearly the same as enlisting and I’ve not heard the Marines do it but it’s possible back then.
It sounds like a character in WEB Griffin’s The Corps but the character Pick Pickering had been a Marine in WWI before being commissioned in WWII.
Well the age limit was briefly 45 in WWII and if the gentleman in question was well educated (like an Engineer) they might of had him go through a boot camp and then moved him immediately to OCS. Marines though are less likely then Navy or Army.
My FIL entered the Marine Reserves enlisted and had an abbreviated boot camp on Paris Island and then went into some sort of engineer program officer training. He was young though and this was post Korea if I remember correctly. But still it shows things were different back then. I would guess far more different in WWII. Didn’t they register all men up to age 65 in WWII?
Believe me I understand that this seems like a fantastic story but I remember years ago reading this story in a book about WW2. I definitely remember the story being significant because of his age and that he rose through the ranks within one year. Also another piece of information to add in when he enlisted he went in at the ranks of Private and than one year later became a Colonel. I think what really did was the fact that I believe he was good friends with the Secretary of War or Secretary of the Navy who gave him that age waiver.
The Marines have always been sticklers for everyone going through training and every Marine a rifleman. I am questioning if it’s possible that anyone could get through Marine Boot Camp at 58. Marine OCS isn’t any easier. It is also physically taxing. Registering for the draft is not the same as being drafted. The original draft law of 1940 stated men between 21 and 45 had to register. It was later lowered to 18. The highest age it got for actual possibility of being drafted was 37.
If they allowed someone who was 58 to put on the EGL without ever being trained as a Marine I would be surprised. I would be less surprised if it was the Army. The Army has a direct commission policy that continues today. The Marines do not. I wouldn’t be shocked given how things changed during WWII but I would be surprised. So far I haven’t come up with any evidence that it happened.
It sounds like you’re talking about Paul Douglas. He was 50, not 58 when he enlisted in the Marine Corps as a private, but aside from that he fits your details. He eventually became a U.S. Senator from Illinois.
Yes that is him definitely. I mean it’s got to be. Thank you for your help in finding this for me. How did you know who to look for?
I just did some searching on oldest Marines. Most of the results were for more recent (and younger) men, but he popped up as someone from the right era, and when I read his story it matched your recollection very closely. Glad I could help.
I was thinking Patton, but he was born in 1885.
If we’re including foreign military, there’s General Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain, born 1856.
Not the “oldest anyone”, but Dashiell Hammett (famous crime novelist) served in the military in WWI, then enlisted in the Army as a private in WWII at the age of 48, serving three years and reaching the rank of Sergeant.
It looks like the question has been answered, but I think you might possibly be conflating a few details with the Civil War. The Army at the beginning of the Civil War was expanding like crazy, and some people went up the promotion chain like rockets.
Interesting. That cite doesn’t explain how he got through training.
I remember reading once that, for the army anyway, General Marshal put an age limit 50? on who could be in the Army. That rule got rid a lot of the general staff but he made a special exception for Patton.
Well the Visitor’s Center at Parris Island is named after him, and apparently he was the oldest Marine recruit to complete recruit training.
August Van Mackensen, was a German Field Marshal, born in 1849. As Field Marshal is a life appointment, he was technically serving during the Second World War; he did make some morale-rasing visits to troops in full uniform.
Max ZUNEHMER, was a full General in the German Army (born in 1865) and he did see active service in 1940-1941 as Commander of the Dusseldorf region. (which was being bombarded).
Oldest US Army officer to see service for the United States was Brig Gen Charles Keller, born 1868. He was a West Point Graduate (1890) and an engineer who saw active service in WW1, as the Deputy Chief Engineer of the AEF. Recalled in 1940 (retired 1923), he oversaw construction of bases for the ever-expanding Army until he retired again in 1943.