EARLY COLD WAR

After World War II, the Army transferred Infantry OCS to Fort Riley, Kansas, as part of the Ground General School and discontinued all other officer candidate schools. On November 1, 1947, the Army ended the Infantry OCS program. The final class graduated only 52 second lieutenants.

KOREA

The North Korean invasion of South Korea on 25 June 1950, in a narrow sense was only an escalation of a continuing civil war among Koreans that began with Japan’s defeat in 1945. In a larger sense, the invasion marked the eruption of the Cold War between the United States and the USSR into open hostilities because each of the Great Powers backed one of the competing Korean governments. The war that followed would devastate Korea, lead to a large expansion of the U.S. armed forces and America’s military presence around the world, and frustrate many on both sides by ending in an armistice that left the peninsula still divided.

By October 1952, most of the junior officers with World War II experience had returned home as their tours expired and their replacements usually had little or no acquaintance with the battlefield. Many of the troops sent over from the United States lacked field training and had to learn the hard way under combat conditions. Initially, the Army requested reserve officers to volunteer for active duty, but this effort failed forcing the Army to initiate an involuntary recall program. Manpower sustainment requirements soon included the National Guard. Even with ROTC, the officer numbers were inadequate to sustain forces in Korea and the expanding Army presence in Europe. Many combat companies were operating with a single officer. The shortage of officers during the Korean conflict caused the Department of the Army to re-open Infantry OCS at Fort Benning on 18 February 1951 and lengthen the course from 17 to 22 weeks. The Infantry Officer Candidate School became the First Officer Candidate Battalion, Second Student Regiment. The strength of OCS increased rapidly. As one of eight branch programs, Infantry OCS included as many as 29 companies with a class graduating every week. During the Korean War, OCS commissioned approximately 7,000 Infantry officers. On 4 August 1953, the Department of the Army reduced OCS from eight to three programs: Infantry, Artillery, and Engineer. In Korea, as in other wars, OCS graduates led from the front.

Just as in World War II, during the Korean War small unit leaders were in demand again. Many from World War II received recalls to active duty while others, who had stayed in the Army, found themselves again deploying to combat. Lieutenant Colonel Don Carlos Faith, Jr. represents their commitment and competence. Lieutenant Colonel Faith’s 1st Battalion, 32d Infantry held the northern flank at the Chosen Reservoir allowing the Marines to fight to the rear. His heroic service resulted in a posthumous Medal of Honor.

Korea was the 'Forgotten War' but our Soldiers are still serving in Korea. Many OCS officers have served multiple tours in Korea through the years. Korean service distinguishes one of our Hall of Fame members and the most decorated OCS officer, Lieutenant General David Grange who served six years in combat in three wars. General Grange dropped out of high school out of a fear World War II would end before he could graduate and serve as an enlisted Airborne Soldier. During the Korean War he served as both a platoon leader and company commander. Serving three tours in Vietnam, first as an Advisor, and later as a battalion commander of the DISCOM and 3rd Brigade, all in the 101st Airborne Infantry Division. He returned to Korea to take command of the 2nd Infantry Division from 1977 to 1979 before assuming command of the Sixth U.S. Army at the Presidio of San Francisco in 1981. His last official duties included overseeing the planning of the official ceremonies commemorating the 40th anniversary of the D-Day landings in 1984.

KOREAN WAR OCS PROGRAMS