John Ford and the beginning of the
Field Photographic Branch

La creazione del settore fotografico

All'inizio degli anni '30, John Ford, a reservist in the Navy creates a unit of cameramen able to intervene "in case of emergency". Nel 1939, la Sezione Fotografica del 11o Distretto Navale diventa operativa. Alcune settimane prima di Pearl Harbor, Ford annuncia che ha addestrato sessanta tecnici.

General Donovan, Coordinator of Information and later director of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), calls for Ford: that is the beginning of the Field Photographic Branch (FPB).

John Ford and his crew at Midway 1942
Lilly Library, Indiana University,
Bloomington, Indiana

Da Pearl Harbor alla battaglia di Midway

Among the films produced by the FPB and personally supervised by John Ford are December 7th, which deals with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and The Battle of Midway, a decisive American victory on Admiral Yamamoto on June 5th, 1942. Ford ha vinto due Academy Awards per il miglior documentario nel 1943 e 1944.

John Ford next to his chief-cameraman
nel Pacifico, n.d.
Lilly Library, Indiana University,
Bloomington, Indiana