G-617 Chevy 4x2 Truck as Navy Courier in 1942-45

In the late spring of 1942, the US Navy was settling into the business of being at war. My father was a newly minted ensign, fresh out of Officer Training Course (OTC). A “Mustang,” he was selected for OTC after three years of enlisted service. He had been ordered to OTC from duty as an enlisted yeoman with the Signals Office serving the office of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). His new assignment after OTC was again under the CNO’s office, but in a subordinate office running of›cer couriers who carried classi›ed documents and materials.

Local couriers were attached to the headquarters of each base. As well, any Navy officer traveling on other business might be tasked to hand deliver a letter or documents. But, some things were beyond the scope of or had too high a classification for local couriers.

This office directly under the office of the CNO handled courier delivery Navy-wide of highly classified items requiring special clearances and an armed courier, as well as unique items requiring special clearances. Some of the office’s couriers were posted at major bases in the west or the south, but most were dispatched from the Washington office, which controlled all of the Navy’s special officer couriers.

The Navy armed officer couriers received a short, but intense,