The Gift of an Autobiography: The Post World War II Years

I have been sharing my dad's, Bruce Glover, autobiography on my blog and it is time to hear about his post World War II years. If you haven't figured it out yet, sports is an ongoing theme in his autobiography. 

THE POST WAR YEARS 1945-46

The most beautiful sight I think I ever witnessed up to this time of my life occurred on the voyage home when our ship entered New York Harbor and for the first time I saw the “Statue of Liberty.” What excitement to finally be coming home to see Mom, Dad, and all my friends.  I was given a two-week furlough before an assignment at Fort McClellan, Alabama as a physical Training and Bayonet Instructor.  We all figured it would only be a matter of time before we would be heading to the Pacific Theater.  I did not have enough points to get out yet. 

 

While at Fort McClellan I also coached and played on a company basketball team in the evening for recreation. We didn’t have a very good team. At the end of the season there was a post championship tournament in which the seven regiments stationed there selected all-star teams from their regiments.  

Colonel Reeder, the Regimental Commander of the 7^th Regiment, of which I was a member, asked me to coach the team which I gladly accepted.  We had two weeks to practice, pick our team, and get ready for the Tournament. (Colonel Russell P. "Red" Reeder photograph in public domain courtesy of United States Army)

      

     7th Regiment at Fort McClellan 

Photograph in the collection of Brenda Leyndyke

3^rd Regiment won practically every year and were heavy favorites as they had some college players, including one who played some at Notre Dame. I was discouraged when I held our first couple of tryouts as there seemed to be hardly any talent at all. Then one night I heard a knock on my door in the Officer’s quarters and a Captain from another company in our Regiment said he just got a shipment of new trainees fresh out of New York high schools and they wanted to play basketball and was there any openings. I would have accepted anyone at this time and told them to report to the gym the next night at 7 o’clock. Five boys reported and all of them had either played together or against each other in New York City schools.

 

Fort McClellan regimental tournament that Bruce Glover coached. Photograph in the personal collection of Brenda Leyndyke

    

WOW ONE TRIP UP AND DOWN THE FLOOR AND I HAD MY STARTING FIVE. Jack Gilcrest was a 5-10 guard who could shoot the eyes out of the basket.  An Italian lad named Pommerano was 6-2 had all the moves in the middle, shooting, passing, and rebounding. The other three boys were equally impressive, and they blended as a team as if they had played together all their lives. To make a long story short we won the tournament breezing handily through the first two games and whipping the 3^rd Regiment in the finals by two points. I, along with the team, was the Toast of the Regiment as a result. 

 

2nd Lt. Bruce D. Glover coaching the Fort McClellan 7th regimental basketball team to victory. Photograph in the personal collection of Brenda Leyndyke.

My biggest contribution was probably staying out of the way and letting them play. I honestly believe this experience was a catalyst for launching my coaching and teaching career at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, following my release from the service.

Source: Military Records, citing World War II Army Service from 9 July 1943 to 6 July 1945; Private Papers; privately held by Brenda Leyndyke, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49009, 2025. 

While at Fort McClellan the War in the Pacific ended in August 1945 with the surrender of the Japanese forces. I was honorably discharged at Camp McCoy north of Wisconsin on May 2, 1946 after 33 plus months of service. I left the service with the Expert Infantryman’s Badge, a Combat Infantryman’s Badge, and a World War II Victory Medal. On my way home from Camp McCoy another officer and I stopped overnight in Chicago and went out on the town. We saw Ted Lewis and his Orchestra performing at one of the hotels. Ted’s band was one of the last of the Big Band era to perform in public and although not as well-known as Glenn Miller, The Dorsey’s, and Harry James, who was one of my favorites and still is today 61 years later. Before retiring for the evening, we stopped for one last drink at the bar in the hotel we were staying at. My companion bet me that I couldn’t drink a “Zombie” and still walk up to my room under my own power.  Naturally, I took him up on it and successfully downed the complete drink and made it upstairs without incident. The next morning, I was on my way home to Hazel Park and my Service career was at an end.