Most of the men in the SPECOU group were from Hollywood. Colonel George Stevens (standing, sixth from right) started out as a teenager photographing Laurel and Hardy comedies. He later became a brilliant director, winning Oscars for Giant and A Place in the Sun. He directed Gunga Din, with Douglas Fairbanks and Cary Grant, as well as Shane and The Diary of Anne Frank.

Other people in our outfit included Irwin Shaw (standing, far left), who wrote Rich Man, Poor Man and The Young Lions, two best-selling novels. William Saroyan, another author, didn’t show up for this picture. Ernest Hemingway’s younger brother, Lester, was in our outfit, too (standing, third from left). Unfortunately, Ernie got all the talent in the family and Lester wasn’t left with much. But that didn’t stop Lester, and after the war he wrote a book called My Brother Ernest. One reviewer said the book proved the importance of being Ernest.
©Phil Drell