Memoirs
work because I had broader areas of responsibility and I seem to do better when I have a lot
of irons in the fire, instead of just one thing. I'm not a specialist, I guess, by nature. So when
I retired, my first priority, as I have just mentioned, was to find a job that sustained my income
equivalent to my service income plus a little more. So the startup was basically to double my
retirement income.
The next area of concentration, I would say, would be in the professional organizations that
related to my work and to my past. That brought in the water resources and environmental
activities, the professional organizations like the military engineers and civil engineers,
PIANC, and then, finally, the Academy of Engineering. Somewhat overlapping the
second group were just the pro bono things that I do like advice to the University of Vermont
and the Association of Graduates of the Military Academy, lecturing at various places, the
Army Engineer Association.
The main thing is that I'm really doing the things I like to do. Occasionally I'll get a contract
with a firm to do something that I end up not feeling too comfortable with, so then I usually
tell them that they should drop me. I've done that two or three times. So that's how it breaks
out. The job, then the professional societies, and finally the pro bono things. That's the
sequence.
Q ..
What about your relationship with the Corps of Engineers since you've retired?
A
Basically you're asking about the official relationship or business relationship. Well, the field
that I've chosen to work in since I retired is a field in which the Corps is also quite active, i.e,.
engineering and construction. I have felt constrained by law and also by my conscience that
I should not promote a company which employed me with the Corps of Engineers. I never did
that. The first five or six years I had little or no association with the Corps in any way except
socially. General
and General Heiberg continued a practice that had started with
General Fred Clarke, and that was to have lunch about once a month with the previous Chiefs
and just talk about things. The Chief has a pretty lonesome job and needs somebody to talk
to. Other than that, I didn't see much of the Chiefs. The current Chief never needs an old Chief
of Engineers poking around or telling him how to do his job. I went to the Christmas parties
when I was invited, and I went whenever possible to the update that the Chief gives to the
retired people.
I explained to the people who employed me they could not expect me to promote them to the
Corps. One very large local company became quite upset that I wouldn't try to get work for
them. I refused to do that and asked that my contract be terminated.
Exceptions arose when I found the Corps was being criticized or heading into trouble in an
area. For example, district engineers or contracting officers are accused of not talking to
contractors. That led to general comments that the Corps is hard to work with, is unfair, or
whatever. So when I'd hear things like that, I would make a point of enlightening the Chief.
On the other hand, I always wanted to be available to the Chief in case of any problem.
General Williams has been a little different from General Hatch, as I recall. General Heiberg
was similar to General Williams in one sense, and that was if he had a problem I could help
him with, he'd call me, and I like that. Later, more recently, however, I've been a lot more
involved with the Corps, particularly through the Academy of Engineering. I've known
General Williams personally since Vietnam. He's easy to talk to-a very fine man. So I
probably am a little more active today.
Of course, as time goes by, your constraints lessen, and you're no longer a factor in Corps
policies. I think retired Chiefs can be of value to the Corps. General Clarke certainly was a
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