Carroll H. Dunn
A
Not too long afterwards, when I came back from work on construction of the Ballistic
Missile Early Warning System facility at Thule, Greenland, in July of
a senior
official of R.CA offered me a job as their senior representative for a like facility in
Alaska. He was responsible for the radar portion of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning
System for the Air Force. That wasn't much of a temptation in view of the fact that I
had just spent a year in the Arctic, and I wasn't particularly interested in going back.
Engineer School,
Belvoir, Virginia, 1947-1949
Q ..
I'll bet. Right. From Iowa you went to Fort Belvoir?
A ..
Fort Belvoir, yes, as an instructor in the Engineer School. They wanted someone who
had been an infantry division engineer to take over the combat engineering portion of
the course, primarily for the officers advanced course, but also for the basic course.
Q ..
The combat engineering portion you set up? How did you approach it? I mean, what
things did you think were important to include? You mentioned earlier that you used
the Roer River crossing.
A ..
Yes. There were a great many prescribed requirements tied into the curriculum. I used
examples
the war but tried to emphasize the training of officers who would be, or
could be, division engineers and engineer battalion commanders. We tried to teach the
things that they should be concerned about in their responsibilities both as staff officers
and as commanders as related to engineers in combat. That was the principal mission.
I was not responsible for civil-type engineering. That was a different department of the
school.
Q ..
Was there any feeling about the emerging cold war at this point, in terms of your
position?
A ..
Not really. It was too early. That came later.
Q ..
Who was the commandant at Fort Belvoir when you were there?
A ..
General [William
followed by General [Douglas L.]
Q ..
Were these people ones with whom you had much experience?
A
I had not known them prior to this assignment. I had met General
but I didn't
know him.
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