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John B. OakesJohn B. Oakes
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an active division, “combat intelligence” in an infantry division of the army, but I was put into OSS and did experience a bit of front-line activity.

Q:

Yeah, you discussed that to some extent in [crosstalk]. Yeah.

Oakes:

When I got out of the army I was invited -- I had to spend several months in Washington to finish up writing a history of our unit in OSS. But I finally got out five years almost to the day after I went in, May 1946, and was offered a job -- of course, they had to -- my old job on the Washington Post, but I didn't like the way it was offered. I didn't like the managing editor who had been the managing editor in the last couple of years that I was there.

Q:

Who was that?

Oakes:

Named Jones, Alexander “Casey” Jones. And at the same time I was offered a job at the Times, and by this time I thought -- although in some ways I hated to leave Washington -- I thought that by this time I could accept a job at the Times without feeling guilty about it. So I did.

Q:

Before we completely leave Washington, just as an anecdotal reference, I ran across some information that you once were a suitor to Kay Meyer. I thought you might want to talk about that.





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