Q ..
Back to Paris and your French colleague.
A ..
His name was Pierre. I forget what his last name was. But anyhow, that's just sort
of a side issue. I thought maybe I ought to try to learn a little French and I figured
he, being available, might make it easy. But when he started pronouncing those
French words for me, I decided right away that it was a hopeless case, so I quit
trying to learn French. My ear, I have trouble understanding English-speaking
people that have a little accent, so how in the world was I ever going to understand
French? My hearing back then was poor. Now my hearing is shot. But even back
then, my hearing for music or anything was no good at all so I decided right away
not to try to learn French. You could get along very well, particularly during the
war, with English.
We stayed in Paris for several weeks. We did get a little information there from the
French organizations, but really not very much. Everything was still basically what
we got from Vicksburg. Then the forecasting unit was being organized. George
Mittendorf, he was a major, and, again, a Corps civilian, who had taken a
commission, was in charge of the flood forecasting unit. We were assigned to the
Chantilly, which was a race course town, about 30 kilometers out of Paris. It was
where the 21st Weather Squadron was located. I think it was the 9th, and I think
they were at the 9th.
Q ..
9th Air Force?
A ..
9th Air Force rear headquarters. I'm not sure it was the 9th. It was one of the Air
Force headquarters.
Q ..
It probably would have been. The 9th Air Force was a tactical air force.
They had taken over a Rothschild chateau. They were in the main building. There
A
were some temporary buildings. I believe they were converted stables that we were
assigned to. I guess, at least I tell about it, it was the policy that the U.S. Forces
took any property that the Germans had taken when the U.S. took it over. They
didn't take new property away from the French, but they kept what the Germans had
taken if they needed it.
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