Carroll H. Dunn
in Korea after the
landing, pending the link-up between Eighth Army and X
Corps as it landed at
However, the link-up took place so fast that no GHQ
[general headquarters] element was ever established. As a result, I didn't go to Korea
until 1964. Our activity on Okinawa continued during all of the time of the Korean
engagement.
Q ..
Now at this point you had served with the Corps of Engineers for 14 years, and you
hadn't had a civil assignment yet?
A ..
That's right.
Q ..
What was your feeling about that? Were you getting kind of anxious?
A
Well, I began to wonder because I really had expected such an assignment after
graduate work. However, because of the requirement for someone with combat
experience in a division engineer battalion at the school, I'd been assigned there. Of
course, after Belvoir, I was apparently due for overseas assignment. Then it was time
to return to the U.S., and I received orders assigning me to be the executive officer in
the Savannah Engineer District. That was on a Friday. When I went to the office the
next Monday to pick up my orders and get ready to have my household goods packed,
I found that I wasn't going to Savannah. I was being sent to the Waterways Experiment
Station at Vicksburg, Mississippi. This was my first hint of any change.
Station, Vicksburg, Mississippi,
Q ..
Do you know what was the cause of the change?
A ..
No, I really don't. Hydraulics had been one of my specialties at Iowa, and my home had
been in Arkansas, very close to the experiment station at Vicksburg. I knew the area.
I'd been to the station.
Q ..
I recall you said that you had been there when you were younger.
A ..
I don't know what brought it about or whether there was some other factor that I
wasn't aware of But I was delighted.
Q ..
You were delighted. It was back home.
A
Close to home. I was 100 miles from home and in an area I knew and with a lot of
people I
including a few who had gone from Arkansas to the station to work.
63
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