Memoirs
Yes, I guess so.
Q.
Because certainly there you were dealing with the Air Force again.
A.
Yes, and my later assignment to
Greenland, was totally on Air Force
from
I went to OCE. I had been scheduled to go to the
Army War College in
The same day I got notice that I was selected to be a
student, I got a call
the OCE personnel officer, General Rodney Smith, who asked
me if I'd seen the list of those to go to the War College. I said, "Yes," and he said,
"Well, don't get excited. You're not going." When I asked him why not, he said,
"You're going to be the executive to the Chief of Engineers."
Executive to the Chief of Engineers,
I can't prove this, but I have very good evidence that this assignment was because
General [Samuel] Sturgis, Chief of Engineers, had attended the 25th anniversary of the
station. He was impressed enough by what he saw of the organization that he decided
when he needed a new exec that I was to be it. I had had no other personal contact with
him. All the evidence certainly indicates that it was the impression he gained on that
it's the only cause and effect that I can put
visit that led to my assignment as his
together. I understood that until that time, the exec at OCE had always been selected
based on a personal relationship.
I reported in July 1955, and General Sturgis got sick about six months later if I
remember correctly. He was away for a number of months during which General
[Charles G.]
the senior deputy, was the acting chief Later, Genera1 Itschner
became the chief.
Q.
September
is when Sturgis
left, but that wouldn't have accounted for
the time when
was acting.
A
To complete the discussion of the OCE assignment, it was interesting. It was my first
experience in getting acquainted with the senior officers of the Corps based on a close
association. There were two deputies and the assistant chiefs, who were all brigadier
generals. I was a colonel with about 17 year's service when I arrived in OCE. Never
having served in Washington before, I found it a real challenge to be the intermediary
with the
to be responsible for seeing that the chiefs instructions were carried
out. It also,
sure, made me known to many of the senior people in the Corps, and
undoubtedly this had some effect on following assignments. That's surmise on my part,
but at least it was the means by which I got quite well acquainted with all the senior
people in the Corps.
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