Enaineer Memoirs
in the field that we were best qualified for, we needed to have work of the type that required
our engineering staffs to be busy, not only our operation and maintenance staff. So work for
others was critical. Is critical. I think we can do a lot more. I think we should do work for
states if they need us and can pay for the service.
Q ..
One question about work for others. In more recent years, some of the assistant secretaries
have been reluctant about the Corps' participating in work for others. Were there any
problems with the Assistant Secretary or the Secretary of the Army on your initiatives in this
area?
A
My only answer to your question is I didn't find that a real problem with the assistant
secretaries during my term because I did have the president's and the Secretary of the Army's
support.
Q ..
Responding to natural disasters and emergencies also required your attention as Chief.
A
It seemed that every year there were one or two events that required immediate reaction.
As our government experienced these emergencies and more and more of the public was
impacted, the organization to deal with the emergencies was adjusted. As a result, sometime
after Hurricane Agnes and in the
FEMA came into being, Federal Emergency
Management Agency. That had an impact directly on the Corps. In emergency conditions, the
law allows the Corps of Engineers to use funds otherwise appropriated to prevent loss of life
or critical damage.
However, to go beyond that into the clean-up phase or to provide relief after the event is
another matter. Prior to FEMA the Chief of Engineers could be more decisive in responding
to disaster matters. During Agnes, General Clarke had be to sure that the Office of Emergency
Preparedness was aware of what he was doing to relieve suffering and clean up the damaged
areas. The Corps was much more responsive in those days. Today, in order to enter the repair
and clean-up phase, FEMA must direct the Corps to act. I'm not being critical of FEMA, but
it's another layer of decision making.
Because of the flooding that had occurred in the early 1970s while I was director of Civil
Works, we had set up in the Chief of Engineers' office an Emergency Operations Center to
monitor floods and disasters. Today, the center has matured and increased in its effectiveness.
I noticed during Hurricane Andrew that the Army became more visible than the Corps of
Engineers. I have no problem with that, but I'm trying to emphasize there's been a major
change in the authority and a reduction in the flexibility of the Chief of Engineers.
My first experience with emergencies was "Operation Snowbound" in the Midwest in 1949,
January of 1949. Based on a series of emergencies over 25 years, I believe in many ways the
public was better served when the Chief could respond directly rather than through FEMA.
The important change was setting up FEMA. Fortunately, General Ben Lewis, who was a
Corps officer, helped to develop FEMA procedures. George Orrell, who had been with the
Strategic Studies Group, went to FEMA also. George was just an outstanding civilian
employee. He did great work for the Corps and he was a real asset over at FEMA.
My last emergency involvement was Mount Saint Helens. Incidentally, Mount Saint Helens
was the catalyst that led to our finally being able to get a new aircraft. I was out of the country
at the time, and General Heiberg used the Chief's plane to visit the site, but he couldn't get
there as fast as everybody else did because of the quality of the aircraft. The Corps did a
tremendous job with the Mount Saint Helens disaster. Because of my trip to China and the
Israeli airfield matter, I had practically nothing to do with the critical phase. The emergency
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