lessonslearned Rank and File I
When a demanding commanding offi cer is promoted to full colonel, his battalion celebrates his exit and realizes the value of eff ective and compassionate leadership.
In February 1955, our tank battal- ion moved from North Camp Fuji near Gotemba, Japan, to a rather primitive camp not far from the Korean DMZ. After the dust raised by our convoy had settled, we found the Marines had left us a campsite with well-ditched streets, a conveniently located motor pool, and a few battered old Quonset huts. There was even a shower tent installed beside a dammed-up creek, quite similar to the one in M*A*S*H (1972-1983) — minus the nurses, of course. The latrines, as ex- pected, were of the deep-pit variety and somewhat drafty for the remainder of that winter. The camp wasn’t good enough for our new commander, however. The motor pool was “unsightly” and had to be moved out to a peripheral site (where it would be more diffi cult to guard our tanks and trucks). We then were re- quired to convert the old site to a parade ground. The also “unsightly” deep ditch- es had to be fi lled in. “A gentle slope” was all that was needed for adequate drain- age. Finally, the grounds were covered over with a good layer of clean sand from the Imjin River. That alone occupied most of the troops seven days a week for the next month. The fi rst good spring rain vanquished the Gentle-Slope Theory of Drainage, and our soldiers spent the next few days digging out the ditches anew. The site for the motor pool turned into a mud hole after every rain,
74 MILITARY OFFICER FEBRUARY 2012
and, of course, there was no running water to wash the mud off the vehicles. More seriously, the North Koreans began making new threats, and some began to wonder whether our commander was really up to a fi ght. Fortunately, these fears were calmed — and morale soared — one summer day when we received the news the commander was being promoted to full colonel.
The new colonel appeared delighted to see all the happy smiles on the faces of his offi cers and men. He never seemed to real- ize our joy actually was over the changes his promotion would bring about. With that higher rank, he no longer could com- mand our battalion and would have to be sent elsewhere. His welcomed replacement was a no- nonsense former high school principal who wasted no time in initiating an eff ective training pro- gram. It was clear he cared
little for pomp and ceremony and more for the welfare of his men. No doubt, one of his greatest morale-boosting decisions was to install tent stoves in all the latrines before the next winter set in. MO
— James O. Morse is a retired Army Reserve colonel. He lives in Starkville, Miss. For submis- sion information, see page 20.
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