Ernest Graves
Q:
The brochure I was reading yesterday, which was produced by the program in the mid-
1960s, said something about creating teams of superbly competent individuals, and it
still kind of struck me. I've been in the Army, and I know its manpower generally. Were
you able to do that?
A:
Oh, yes. We were able, because of this attitude toward nuclear power, we had no
trouble getting the best officers to want to go into this. Lampert had a star-studded
crew. Not all of them went on to stars, but he had crackerjacks. They were very bright,
but they were also energetic and had initiative and would do things. Everybody thought
that nuclear energy was the wave of the future in those days.
Q:
Was [Lieutenant General Samuel D.] Sam Sturgis Chief of Engineers at that time?
A:
Yes, he was.
Q:
Do you have any idea what he thought about this?
A:
No, I don't.
Q:
Did he ever come down? Did he show any interest that you could see at your level?
A:
I can't remember. Lampert, I know, was thought of very highly by them. When he
finished that job he went to the National War College and on to bigger and better
things.
My impression was that when he went to them for support, he had his act together. I
know he was very tough on numbers of people. He would not ask for more people
unless he was absolutely convinced he had a really tough job. I have forgotten what
they told me at first, but I remember that I worked up a projection. In order to build this
training program, I worked up a projection of all the nuclear power plants that I
thought the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force were going to have of this type over ten
years. Lampert was amazed when he saw that, because it ended up justifying putting
three or four times as many officers into this type of education as were then being sent
to graduate school in this area.
When he went over it, and saw, he said, "Yes, that's reasonable." We didn't have all
these plants. The program did not grow that way. But I did this for the purpose of
saying that, if we are going to have enough officers who know this business to handle
the building of these plants and their operation--and that was our concept--this was
where we are going to need people.
71
Previous Page
