NEWS AND OPINION:
A round of applause please for the World War II-era Office of Strategic Services — the first organized U.S. effort to implement a centralized system of strategic intelligence, and the predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Special Operations Command, and the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research.
A round as well for a new documentary film titled “Filming Under Fire: John Ford’s OSS Field Photo Branch,” which tells the story of how top Hollywood figures contributed to America’s victory in World War II through their service in that OSS branch.
Among the big names covered besides Ford, a six-time Academy Award-winning director, are cinematographers Harold Rosson, Gregg Toland and Joe August; screenwriter Budd Schulberg; and actor Sterling Hayden.
“They conducted surveillance. They made training films. They shot combat. They created films to boost Americans’ morale and to demoralize the enemy. General [Dwight] Eisenhower said that if it did nothing else, the intelligence gathered by the Field Photographic Branch in advance of D-Day alone justified OSS’s creation. At the war’s conclusion, they gathered evidence that was instrumental in convicting the Nazi High Command at Nuremberg,” advises the film’s official synopsis.
“This film is a tribute to their heroic efforts; to Hollywood’s contribution to America’s victory in World War II; and to the enduring power of film in the never-ending struggle for freedom and human dignity — a timely reminder as the world once again confronts autocratic forces,” the synopsis said.
This new film — which was narrated by veteran actor Bruce Boxleitner — has a bright future.
“To date, it’s been selected by two Academy Award-qualifying film festivals,” said Charles Pinck, president of the OSS Society, which was founded in 1947 Army Gen. William J. Donovan and continues to honor the historic accomplishments of the OSS. Donovan is called “the father of American Intelligence” by none other than the CIA itself.
The OSS Society also led a successful effort to have a Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the OSS. The OSS Congressional Gold Medal Act was signed into law on Dec. 14, 2016.
Find the OSS Society, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, at OSSSociety.org.
VANCE SUMS IT UP
Let’s spend a little time with Sen. J.D. Vance, who is not keen on the war in Ukraine, and the potential role for the U.S. in it. Here’s what the Ohio Republican told “Fox News Sunday” anchor Shannon Bream regarding the situation.
“The argument that I’m making is quite simple. It’s not that we don’t admire the courageousness of the Ukrainians, we certainly do. It’s that America is stretched too thin. We do not have the industrial capacity to support a war in Ukraine, a war in Israel, potentially a war in East Asia if the Chinese invade Taiwan. So America has to pick and choose,” Mr. Vance said.
“By the way, Shannon, some of the very people who shipped America’s manufacturing base overseas to China in the first place, who weakened our ability to manufacture our own weapons, are now the same people who are saying we can get involved in three wars at once. The math doesn’t make sense. We’re stretched too thin. We’ve got to focus,” he continued.
“The last point I’ll make on this is if we focus on East Asia, if we focus on containing the Chinese, the Europeans can step up in Europe. Germany still, after Donald Trump demanded it, doesn’t spend 2% of GDP on defense. A lot of the NATO countries have allowed their own industrial might to atrophy. So why are Americans subsidizing European security? We should be focused on our own problems — and that’s mostly China,” Mr. Vance concluded.
THE CAP CALL CONTINUES
Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump continues to use a certain item in his campaign fundraising. That item is the classic “MAGA” style baseball cap, embellished with the phrase “Make America Great Again.”
Beloved among Mr. Trump’s fans, the cap has been available in red of course, along with black plus a regal, white-and-gold version. Now comes the camouflage version, along with a little commentary.
]”Would you wear this?” Mr. Trump asks in a campaign message which showcases the “official Camo MAGA hat” along with another inquiry.
“Should I wear the CAMO MAGA Hat to court? You might not be able to see me!” the outreach says, capital letters, exclamation point and all.
PARTY NEWS
So the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner has come and gone, but a comment or two lingers on.
President Biden of course attended the annual event along with some 2,900 other guests — and made a customary speech to the hefty crowd. Then there was Colin Jost — co-host of “Weekend Update” on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”
“I was excited to be up here on stage with President Biden tonight, mostly to see if I could figure out where Obama was pulling the strings from,” Mr. Jost observed.
Curious? The event itself is available to view on always interesting C-SPAN.org.
POLL DU JOUR
• 59% of U.S. adults think that the U.S. does not have a responsibility to be involved in conflicts in the Middle East.
• 60% of Republicans, 62% of independents and 54% of Democrats agree.
• 56% of conservatives, 61% of moderates and 56% of liberals also agree.
• 62% of women and 55% of men also agree.
• 41% overall say the U.S. does have a responsibility to be involved in conflicts in the Middle East.
• 40% of Republicans, 38% of independents and 46% of Democrats agree.
• 43% of conservatives, 38% of moderates and 44% of liberals also agree.
• 38% of women and 45% of men also agree.
SOURCE: A CNN/SSRS poll of 1,212 U.S. adults conducted online and by telephone April 18-23.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse.