Engineer Memoirs
refueling. We were given one small truck on our TO&E and we could not possibly have
kept this operation going without this borrowed piece of Air Force equipment.
I obviously am enthusiastic about what the 44th did. They really did work.
I have to tell one other story. When we were supporting the 13th Engineers on this
paving, I went up to see them, and they were very courteous. We had a nice visit and
stayed overnight. But in the meeting we were talking about work call, and I asked,
"When is work call?" They started going through this explanation. I said, "Well, work
call in the 44th Engineer Battalion is seven o'clock and I hope you guys are going to
be out there because we are." Well, that kind of flustered them.
Q:
Did you get involved in any civic action projects?
A:
Yes. We supported some orphanages. We did work there. We did earthwork. They
could get a lot of things done, but if there had to be roads built, that was a problem.
We also supported a Korean police academy and helped them with equipment to build
a parade ground--to fill a very uneven area so that they could have a level area.
The chaplain of the battalion had a close association with some of the Korean Christian
churches, and we exchanged services with them while I was there.
I didn't make any lasting friendships out of that. I remember at the time that we had
great pleasure from associating with these people, but I guess I was remiss. I didn't
keep up my contacts with them. We would do our civic action work on Sunday,
although there were periods when we were working a seven-day week. When we were
trying to get these shelters for the missiles done, we worked a seven-day week. And
then we backed off to six days after that. But we always worked at least a six-day
week.
Q:
Is that how these civic action projects got done normally on Sundays--with volunteers?
A:
I think, by and large, that was the way they were done. Occasionally we would put a
piece of equipment out at a place and leave it there with an operator. If there was some
project where they needed it, we would put it out there for a week or two to do work.
Sea-Level Central American Canal, 19591967
Q:
When you left there, you went back to nuclear physics, didn't you?
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