Engineer Memoirs
Those were the three major activities, including, of course, dealing with all the services
on nuclear weapons requirements and availability. The biggest engineering mission
involves the physical problem of preparing for the underground tests. Some pretty
massive tunnels have been built to ensure against atmospheric release of radiation from
the tests.
Q ..
Would that have involved much work with the Corps?
A ..
A limited amount of work with the Corps. This work was contracted using primarily
the contractors used by the AEC at the Nevada test site. We entered into our own
contracts as well.
Q ..
Did you use anybody that you had worked with earlier-get them transferred to DNA?
A ..
No, I'm not inclined to carry a lot of people around. On occasion I have, but for the
most part, unless it was an emergency, would tend to let the system work and go with
that.
Q ..
Did you find that happening to you?
A ..
So far as I know, every assignmentthat I held after June of 1942, when I was assigned
as executive officer, 303d Engineer Battalion, 78th Division, was in response to a
request. I left the 78th in November 1942 to go to the 30th Infantry Division in
response to a name request. I believe every assignment that I had from there on for the
rest of my career was based on a "by name request." I'm not sure if that's good. But,
nevertheless, that seems to be the way it worked for me.
Q ..
Why might it not be good?
A ..
I can't say that it hurt my career, but whether it was the best thing all the way through
for the Army I'm not sure.
Q ..
I'm wondering if you feel that you've said as much as you'd like to about your time
with the Defense Nuclear Agency. Was that clearly your last assignment when you took
it?
A
Well, yes. This was during the latter stages of Vietnam, and the chief of staff
established a policy-I don't know when it was established-but I know it was in effect
General Westmoreland took over as chief of staff. Any appointment of an officer
to a higher grade than major general, which is the highest permanent grade, carried with
it an agreement that said appointment was for a specific assignment; there was no
guarantee that there would be another equivalent assignment when that one was over.
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