Carroll H. Dunn
2,000 construction
workers on the site. This is a fairly remarkable achievement, I think,
in terms of productive work. We were able to overcome most of the environmental
and do a reasonably satisfactory job.
The job actually resulted in a decrease in original contract cost after it was completed.
It was an incentive-type contract and was completed not only within budget but at a
reduced cost, for which I give the contractor a very large amount of the credit. He had
it well organized and had some good people on the job.
Q.
At what stage was that program when you went there? Was it at the very beginning?
A
The construction had started with some foundations in, but the major work of erecting
the buildings and their interiors, setting equipment in place for the Air Force
contractors
and GE for the radar equipment), and erecting the radar towers all
took place during that year.
19604962
Corps of Engineers Ballistic Missile Construction
Q ..
And from there you went to an assignment with the Ballistic Missile Construction
Office, which would be at that point in Los Angeles District?
A
I returned from Greenland in July 1960 assigned to command an engineer group at Fort
Belvoir. This was in line with normal career patterns since I had not had troop
command since World War II. About the time that I returned-I'd been back about10
days and was on leave-a decision was made by the Secretary of Defense, over the Air
Force's objection, that the Corps would be responsible for the construction contracts
for the ballistic missile program. We had had a small liaison office working with the Air
Force in the Los Angeles area up to that time, and a decision was made to enlarge that
office. The
office was to have the direct responsibility for construction rather than
having the construction responsibilities spread over existing districts. This had been the
case in the Atlas F program, which was the only one under way at the time. That
decision required assigning several officers as program directors for the various missile
programs, and I was one of the four selected and was assigned to the Titan II program.
Actually, I knew nothing about this as it was developing.
Having returned
Greenland, I'd done some work around the house, and we were
getting
to go on a vacation when I got a call Saturday morning that the chief
wanted to see: me. I happened to be in the barber shop at the time. But my wife got in
touch with me, and I went by the office late Saturday morning. I was told what was
happening, and on Monday I was in Los Angeles. I did not get to complete my leave
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