Carroll H. Dunn
Maj.
Carroll Dunn, J-4 (second from
and Brig. Gen.
Gates, Director of
Construction (center) inspect a site in Vietnam, 1966.
The real problem became one of allocating the resources so those things that were of
the most benefit to the Military Assistance Command in Vietnam were the ones that
would get done rather than those that each individual service might request and get
funded, and that then would result in a claim on the limited in-country resources.
Unquestionably, there was need for someone in Vietnam to coordinate the construction
activity. This revolved around the fact that there had to be established a series of
priorities and a means by which controlled allocation of limited resources could be
carried out. That essentially was my mission and the basis for my assignment to
Vietnam and for the establishment of the construction directorate.
The directive from DOD sending me to Vietnam, in effect, delegated to me the
authority to determine requirements and set priorities. This bothered General [William]
Westmoreland a little, and in one of my first conversations with him, he alluded to the
fact that I had been given this authority by the Secretary of Defense. My response to
him was, essentially: "I know for whom I work, and obviously the priorities that are
going to be set are those which you feel are the ones needed." After that very brief
conversation, there was no difficulty whatsoever.
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