ARMY: It’s Six Million

Ever since Pearl Harbor the size of the U.S. Army has been a tightly held military secret. Last time a figure was officially announced for the Army’s size at the end of 1942 was in January—3,600,000. Estimates for the eventual size have ranged up to 10,000,000. But last week Under Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson testified before a Congressional committee that in an “Army of 6,000,000” not all the officers would be the “very best material.” Newspapers pounced on the figure as news—but the U.S. well knew the Army might not stop there.