Water Resources: Hydraulics and Hydrology
So we finally got organized there and developed a system for the forecasting which
is described in my ASCE paper, I mean the routine of how often and where we made
a forecast were pretty much dictated by when we were able to get information. We
ended up in making two forecasts a day at noon and midnight. So things started
shaking down, and we put out our first forecast 27 January `45.
We went over in late November. In December and January was the Battle of the
Bulge. They issued orders that everybody was to carry a side arm. Of'course, I
didn't know whether that applied to me or not, but I love guns so one of the G.I.s
picked up a Belgian pistol for me, so I got to carry a side arm. We had an awful lot
of snow in January. It was stormy up at the Bulge, too, but we had a lot of snow
in Paris, too, that January.
Q ..
When the Battle of the Bulge first started, how did the headquarters react to that?
There apparently was a lot of panic and uncertainty.
A ..
We could go into Paris every Saturday--there must have been some other activities
in these buildings with us, and so every Saturday there would be a couple of trucks
going into Paris, the guys would go in and then come back Sunday night. But we
really didn't have any, I didn't have any military contacts at all except just
immediately in our own unit there. But, the notice about side arms, and everything
came out in paper. I don't even know who issued it.
But I suppose there was concern. There couldn't help but be.__ ho knows what
W
would have happened if the Germans had succeeded there. It would have been a
mess for awhile, that's for sure. There have been several different programs about
the Battle of the Bulge. That's where, I forget his name now, sent back the nuts to
the Germans.
Q ..
Oh, Anthony McAuliffe?
A ..
Yes, to the Germans.
Q ..
Well, that's not what he said.
A
They couldn't figure out, according to the movie at least, they couldn't figure out
what that meant.
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