Carroll H. Dunn
Germany and in the German blitzkrieg specifically, but, of course, was aware of the
preparation for possible war and the mobilization. As I recall, he [Thompson] had
recently returned from Germany, where he had taken some advanced engineering
studies and had also become fairly well acquainted with German activities. He was in
the intelligence group in the Office of the Chief of Engineers, as I remember it, at the
time.
Army Training Center, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, 1941-1942
Q ..
So you went to Belvoir. That was your first time there as part of getting ready to go
on to
Wood. Belvoir training center opened somewhat earlier, in February
1941, I believe. Then it was in May of that year that Fort Leonard Wood training center
opened.
A.
Yes, we went to Belvoir to get together as a headquarters because construction was
not completed at Leonard Wood. It happened that, of the Regular Army officers chosen
to make up the cadre for the training center, I was the only lieutenant in the group. We
had not yet had a general
designated to be the commander. The deputy
commander, who was the active head of the organizational group putting together the
training center, was Daniel
He decided that my duties were to be as an aide for
the commanding general when he was finally named. In the interim, I served as assistant
adjutant in putting together the organization of the training center, and we moved to
Leonard Wood in late April or early May, as I remember. And about that time,
Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant III, grandson of the original, was designated as the
commanding general. I became his aide, but still continued as assistant adjutant.
We found my activities, in addition to being an aide, very interesting. General Grant
lived at Leonard Wood. My wife and I, married less than two years, lived in
Missouri, the nearest town in which we could find a place. As General Grant traveled
around Missouri, where his grandfather was well known, people were always glad to
have him speak and attend events. Both my wife and I usually accompanied him. He
took a very great interest in both of us, and we became quite familiar with Missouri at
that time and with activities of his grandfather as they were remembered by people of
Missouri of that day.
In addition, I had the job of being the "staffjudge advocate" of the center. We had none
assigned, and it became my duty to review various special court and other court cases
(we did not have general court martial jurisdiction) and to make recommendations for
the general's action. In setting this up, I remember I looked through the replacement
trainees who were coming through and found a couple of lawyers from civilian life who
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