Engineer Memoirs _____________________________________________________________________
So, I called Hank Hatch, told him I'd like to do that, and I called Colonel Steve Smith in the
General Officer Management Office and told him the same thing. Another couple of months
later they confirmed it and that was it.
Q:
Now, would you say that is the usual way that would happen, or maybe there isn't a usual
way?
A:
For general officer assignments, that has been my experience. There's been a dialogue with
the Chief of Engineers and your desires made known, and all those things go together. So, I
think every assignment I have discussed with the Chief of Engineers has happened with my
cognizance, except when I went to the Ohio River Division the first time. It was kind of a
surprise because Harry Griffith had been pulled out very quickly, and the Chief, General
Morris, had made up his mind before he talked with me.
Basically, there's been dialogue for most general officer positions. So, I'd say, yes, I thought
that was rather normal.
Q:
What you're saying then is that when General Saint brought the question up with you, you
had already discussed this with General Hatch, at that point?
A:
No. I think I called him right after that.
Q:
Okay.
A:
So, before General Saint went back, I had discussed it with General Hatch. My job in Europe
was a great job, being in Europe, being Chief of Staff of USAREUR, and with all of the
things going on. I would only have two years left before mandatory retirement, and normally,
having been in the personnel assignment business, people aren't looking for a one-year
person. They're looking for doing something when you have two years left. So, I felt if I
stayed there another year, I would be putting someone in a box as for what I would do in my
final year. I knew I wanted to return to the United States before I retired.
Of course, the deputy job is a super job, and you're right at the top of a great organization, so
I really wanted to do that. That was certainly my prime choice. I would be hard-pressed to
think of another choice.
Q:
At that point.
A:
At that point, right.
Q:
In 1988, little more than a year earlier, you were mentioned as one of the top candidates for
the Chief of Engineers at that time. Did you want to be Chief at that time?
A:
Of course. I thought I was qualified and a good candidate, and my background actually was
much like Hank Hatch's. We'd been a lot of the same places, in the ACE's shop, in Europe,
at Belvoir, around the USACE divisions. So, I thought I was qualified and probably a pretty
good competitor of his.
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