Interview with Harry G. Story, November 22, 1993

Partial Transcript: Uh, why don't we get started?

Segment Synopsis: Story discusses how he met Cooper at Fort Custer in Officer Candidate School during World War II.

Keywords: College degrees; Higher education; Infantry officers; Influences; John Sherman Cooper; Law degrees; Military branches; Municipal government; Non-commissioned officers; Officer Candidate School (OCS); Second lieutenants; Units; World War II

Subjects: Accountants; Agriculture; City managers; Fort Custer (Mich.); Fort Washington (Md.); Lawyers; Michigan; Military government; Military law; Military police; Politicians; Teaching; Training; Washington (D.C.); World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: He taught one section of it?

Segment Synopsis: Story describes his and Cooper's time spent at Fort Custer, with Cooper serving as an instructor in the Officer Candidate School (OCS). Story recalls how respected Cooper was amongst his pupils in the class. Story also remembers when Cooper left Fort Custer to go to the European theater in England.

Keywords: Captains; Classes; County judges; Fort Indiantown Gap (Pa.); Gubernatorial candidates; Instructors; John Sherman Cooper; Majors; Military government schools; Officer Candidate School (OCS); Officers; Units; World War II

Subjects: English; Fort Custer (Mich.); Harvard University; Kentucky; Military government; Military law; Military police; Pennsylvania; Politicians; Sheringham (England); Teaching; United Kingdom; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Well, you then saw him again when you were at Sheringham, England.

Segment Synopsis: Story details his transfer to Sheringham, U.K., and what he did during this time. Cooper's later transfer to Sheringham is also mentioned.

Keywords: Allies; Civil affairs; Civil government; Community; Detachments; Direct commissions; Field-grade officers; Integrated teams; Invasions; John Sherman Cooper; Occupied areas; Officers; Patton's Third Army; Schools; Second lieutenants; Secretary; Utilities; World War I; World War II

Subjects: Americans; England; English; Food; Fort Custer (Mich.); France; French; Italy; Lawyers; Manchester (England); Military government; Military police; Municipal services; Politicians; Sheringham (England); Specialists; Transportation; United Kingdom; World War, 1914-1918; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: I was with this a detachment, which was up north of Paris.

Segment Synopsis: Story discusses his role in a German spy trial, a position which Cooper obtained for him.

Keywords: Assassinations; Assistant trial counsel; Calvary; Closing arguments; Detachment commander; Displaced persons; Dwight Eisenhower; General George S. Patton; German Army; German officers; Headquarters; John Sherman Cooper; Military commissions; Military drafts; Outposts; Patton's Third Army; Polish; Senior counsel; Sergeants; Surrender; Units; World War II

Subjects: Chicago (Ill.); French; German; Germans; Military police; Nazis; Paris (France); Politicians; Spies; Trials; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Orders were cut transferring me down to the Third Army.

Segment Synopsis: Story details his transfer to Patton's Third Army and what he did upon arriving in France.

Keywords: 4th Armored Division; Army; Attacks; Battle of the Bulge; Forces; General George S. Patton; German divisions; John Sherman Cooper; Officers; Patton's Third Army; Second lieutenants; Staff officers; Units; World War I; World War II

Subjects: Character; France; Friends; Italy; Military government; Military police; Nancy (France); Politicians; Spanish-American War, 1898; United Kingdom; World War, 1914-1918; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: . . .To Patton that some woman, titled lady living in France. . .

Segment Synopsis: Story lists some of the responsibilities that Cooper had in Patton's Third Army.

Keywords: British royal family; Castles; Colonels; Commercial operations; Communications; General George S. Patton; John Sherman Cooper; Patton's Third Army; Pencil company; Second lieutenants; Transport company; Troops; World War II

Subjects: Authority; France; Generals; Lead mines and mining; Military government; Military police; Politicians; Responsibility; United States. Department of State; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Well, he--Cooper was at Nancy for a while. . .

Segment Synopsis: Story reflects upon when Patton's Third Army headquarters was moved from France to Luxembourg and then to Germany towards the end of the war.

Keywords: Battle of the Bulge; Brandenburg (Germany); Detachments; General George S. Patton; Headquarters; Hotels; Jeep automobile; John Sherman Cooper; Officers; Patton's Third Army; Snow; Units; World War II

Subjects: Christmas; Food; Germany; Luxembourg; Military government; Military police; Munich (Germany); Nancy (France); Politicians; Staff; Supervision; Transportation; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Was Coop---uh--John Cooper actually in combat himself. . .

Segment Synopsis: Story talks of Cooper's lack of involvement in combat. Story describes the conditions found in Nancy, France while Patton's Third Army was headquartered there.

Keywords: Accommodations; Damage; General Patton; John Sherman Cooper; Officers; Patton's Third Army; Railroad guns; World War II

Subjects: Combat; Food; Germans; Military government; Military police; Nancy (France); Politicians; Somerset (Ky.); Staff; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Well, in the spring of '45 you--you were in Germany by then.

Segment Synopsis: Story illustrates what it was like in Germany at the end of World War II. Story highlights Cooper's efforts at reorganizing the Bavarian court system.

Keywords: Administrative work; Civil courts; Court systems; Detachments; Disclosure; Displaced persons; Dwight Eisenhower; Enforcement; General Patton; John Sherman Cooper; Judiciary; Military decrees; Military government courts; Military prisoners; Nazi Party; Princess Malfalda; Procedures; Public office; Punishment; Qualifications; Surrender; U.S. Ambassador to East Germany; World War II

Subjects: Americans; Bavaria (Germany); Buchenwald (Concentration camp); Concentration camps; Correspondence; Courts; Criminals; Dachau (Concentration camp); Death; Germans; Germany; Holocaust; Magistrate; Military government; Military police; Nazis; Political prisoners; Politicians; Prisons; Russians; Trials; Victims; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: W--were you working then with displaced people as well--?

Segment Synopsis: Story emphasizes Cooper's lack of organization. Story describes Cooper's personality over the years.

Keywords: Amazing; Captains; Colonels; Detachments; Drafted; Enlisted men; First lieutenants; Florida Bar Association; General George S. Patton; John Sherman Cooper; Lorraine Cooper; Lyndon Johnson; O.B. McEwan; Officer; Officers; Patton's Third Army; Presidential inaugurations; Presidents; Rankings; Ronald Reagan; Second lieutenants; Senate; Treatment; Unit officers; William Fulbright; World War II

Subjects: Character; Germany; Military government; Military police; Munich (Germany); Pennsylvania Avenue (Washington, D.C.); Personality; Politicians; Speeches; Staff; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Washington (D.C.); Work; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: He had been elected on both tickets, as I understand for circuit judge.

Segment Synopsis: Story discusses the level of contact he had with Cooper after World War II. Story recalls some interesting experiences of Cooper during the war.

Keywords: Alben Barkley; American officers; Army identification number; Battle of the Bulge; Bronze star citation; Circuit judges; Dog tags; Elections; General Patton; Headquarters; ID cards; John Sherman Cooper; Patton Memorial; Patton's 100th birthday; Patton's Third Army; Political campaigns; Records; Senate; Travel orders; U.S. Army; Vaccination records; World War II

Subjects: Atlanta (Ga.); Bronze Star Medal (U.S.); Correspondence; Education; England; Fort Knox (Ky.); Friendship; Indiana; Languages; London (England); Military government; Politicians; Travel; United Kingdom; United States; Washington (D.C.); West Point (N.Y.); Wimbledon (London, England); World War, 1939-1945; Writing

Partial Transcript: And I never met his first wife either.

Segment Synopsis: Story talks of Cooper's first wife. The two met in Michigan while Cooper was stationed at Fort Custer during World War II.

Keywords: 1946 Senatorial campaign; Campaign appearances; Elections; Fort Indiantown Gap (Pa.); John Sherman Cooper; Percy Jones Hospital (Battle Creek, Mich.); Political campaigning; Political campaigns; Political candidates; Richard Cooper; Running for office; World War II

Subjects: Battle Creek (Mich.); Brothers; Death; Divorce; Europe; Fort Custer (Mich.); Marriage; Michigan; Money; Pennsylvania; Politicians; Reputation; Sisters; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Are you familiar with the trip that he took to Switzerland to bring--uh--Hoegner back to be sworn in as minister president?

Segment Synopsis: Story discusses Cooper's assistance in the selection of several key German officials for both courts and the government in Bavaria.

Keywords: Anti-Nazi; Chief of staff's office; Collaborators; De-Nazification; First lieutenants; General officers; Generals; John Sherman Cooper; Judicial positions; Konrad Adenauer; Ludwig Erdhard; Ministers-President of Bavaria; Nazi Party; Statesman; U.S. Army; Wilhelm Hoegner; World War II

Subjects: Bavaria (Germany); Courts; Europe; Germans; Germany; Military government; Military police; Nazis; Politicians; Prison; Switzerland; Travel; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: . . .Cooper in dealing with--uh--the displaced people.

Segment Synopsis: Story articulates Cooper's role in keeping Russian displaced persons and their families together. Story considers Cooper's perspective on the question of what to do with Germany after World War II.

Keywords: Bills; Community of nations; Conferences; Dean Acheson; Displaced persons; Economy; Harry Truman; Jewish people; John Sherman Cooper; Manufacturing; Morgenthau Plan; Nationalities; Nazi Party; Newspapers; North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); Secretary of state; Senate Judiciary Committee; Special advisors; Treatment; World War II; Yalta Conference

Subjects: Americans; Brussels (Belgium); Business; Concentration camps; Criminals; Europe; Families; Germans; Germany; International relations; Kentucky; London (England); Marriage; Michigan; Nazis; New York (N.Y.); Politicians; Punishment; Repatriation; Russia; Russians; Trains; Travel; United Nations; United States; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: When you would talk to him. . .did he talk about issues he was working on. . .

Segment Synopsis: Story assesses the impact of Cooper's service in World War II upon his life.

Keywords: Accomplishments; Colonels; General George S. Patton; John Sherman Cooper; Patton's Third Army; Personal life; Preparation; Receptionists; Treatment; U.S. Army; World War II

Subjects: Authority; English; German; Germany; Kentuckian; Munich (Germany); Politicians; Tobacco; United States. Department of State; Weather; World War, 1939-1945

Partial Transcript: Charlie Bartlett, I'm sorry that's who it--that's the name.

Segment Synopsis: Story discusses the friendship between Cooper and Charles Bartlett. Cooper's views on the Warren Commission are evaluated. Story briefly talks of the dynamics between Cooper and Robert Taft.

Keywords: Alfalfa Club, Washington, D. C.; Assassinations; Charles Bartlett; Debates; Jackie Kennedy; John F. Kennedy; John Sherman Cooper; Lee Harvey Oswald; Lorraine Cooper; Republicans; Robert Taft; Senate; Senators; Warren Commission; White House

Subjects: Biography; Brothers; Character; Chattanooga (Tenn.); Cross-examination; Friendship; Hearings; Judgment; Kennedy family; Kennedy, John Fitzgerald, 1917-1963; Politicians; Voting; Washington (D.C.)