Dashiel Hammett
in the Army

Dashiel Hammett (1894-1961) had a pretty swell resume by the time W.W. II came along. He had a number of celebrated novels and short stories published as well as a good many well-paying gigs writing in Hollywood. It was during that time when he developed a strong dis-liking for fascism. When the war began, he put his money where his mouth was, and enlisted. Back then, it was rare but not unheard of, for an older gent with such accomplishments to enlist in the army -and that is just what he did. This one page article clearly spells out Hammett’s period serving on an Alaskan army base; his slow climb from Buck Private to Sergeant; his difficulty with officers and the enjoyment of being anonymous.

Accompanying the article is a black and white image of the writer wearing Uncle Sam’s olive drab, herringbone twill -rather than the tell-tale tweed he was so often photographed wearing.