Chapt5Sec3.doc

© Boulton B. Miller 12/02/96

A HAND ON MY SHOULDER

Chapter 9

(From Spring of 1961 to End of 1964)

CONTINENTAL ARMY COMMAND (CONARC)

Fort Monroe, VA

When I arrived at Fort Monroe in the spring of 1961, quarters were not available; however, I was able to put my name on a list for what was called temporary quarters, converted barracks like we had lived in at Fort Lee. My hope was to have my name come up by the time school was out and the family was ready to move to Virginia. The brick quarters on the post were splendid, but reserved for officers senior to me. Inside the moat were a number of older quarters; many thought them to be the most desirable. For example, General Lee's old quarters that he'd occupied when stationed at the fort when he was a lieutenant were still in use. Across the street, overlooking the moat, was the area where the former President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, was imprisoned at the end of the Civil War. The area is a small museum.

My good fortune held for my work assignment in that Colonel Marnane was still the CONARC Adjutant General, the one who had asked for me to be assigned. It was not yet time for his deputy to be replaced, so I was given a job in planning. This turned out to be right down my alley. Of course, I had to put up with two of my old "friends" from the Pentagon who had been able to get assigned together, and in a position to look after each other. The first thing they did to me was, without warning, on the way to a ceremony, give me the citation to be read and broadcast for the Commanding General at a large gathering on the water in front of the Chamberlain Hotel. I didn't even get a chance to read it over before I was in front of the mike. They detested having to take the mike and had me do it for kicks. I had not yet been promoted to full Colonel, and the one in the position of Executive Officer could order me around. They made Colonel Marnane think I had volunteered to read the citation after I had no trouble, much to their disgust.

Marian and I planned a trip together before the quarters at Fort Monroe became available. Since we had enjoyed Wisconsin with CCC duty we decided to return to revisit some of the places we had known before. I returned to Peoria to pick her up, leaving the girls with her folks to look after. Our trip included LaCrosse, WI, Sparta, and the famous old Blue Bowl café in Tomah for cherry cobbler, and the next day to Winona, MN, Wisconsin Dells, then the following day to some antique shops at Oregon, Grand Detour, and Sterling. This was a most enjoyable trip. One of my favorite pictures of Marian taken on this trip is shown below. Another picture shows her with the Buick wagon we were driving at the time. Marian had her hair cut after over ten years just before I returned from Fort Monroe to pick her up. It is shown in the following pictures. Prior to this cut, she wore braids as shown in numerous previous pictures. She never let it grow again.

Figure 5-3-1

Marian in Wisconsin

Figure 5-3-2

Marian in Wisconsin

On my return to Fort Monroe during the spring of 1961 (May), I talked my mother into going back to Virginia with me. She had never been out there to see us when we lived in Virginia. After my father died, she needed to get away for a bit. This turned out to be a great trip for her and for the both of us. I had been gone so much, we really did not have much time together. If she had not sold what jewelry she had to gather enough money to get me into Kemper, I would have never done what I was able to do.

At Fort Monroe, I put mother up in the Chamberlin Hotel, located on Fort Monroe. It is a civilian hotel, but located on an Army post. We were able to tour Washington, DC, Jamestown, Yorktown, Williamsburg, the Hampton Roads area, Norfolk, Richmond, and would have toured more except I had to take a group of our staff people to an IBM school in New York State and could not leave her alone. I arranged for some of her friends in Illinois to go to St. Louis and meet her plane as we drove to Washington, DC, me on my way to Endicott, NY and mother on her way to Illinois. She had never flown, so this was quite an experience for her. She really seemed to enjoy the trip. I am so glad I had her make the trip.

Figure 5-3-3

Mother at Jamestown

Figure 5-3-4

Mother at the Chamberlin Hotel at Fort Monroe

Figure 5-3-5

Fort Monroe Showing the Moat Area

Figure 5-3-6

Band Stand and Quarters in front of the Hotel

Figure 5-3-7

Old Officer’s Club Inside Moat

Figure 5-3-8

General Lee’s Old Quarters Inside Moat

Figure 5-3-8a

Cannon On Parade Ground Inside Moat

Figure 5-3-9

Marla Visiting President Davis’ Cell

During June of 1961 I was finally able to receive my Ph.D. degree during the graduation at American University. In previous discussions I described how I had completed the required class work and passed the comprehensive examinations during the four years we were stationed in Washington. Marian and I rewrote my dissertation while I was assigned as a student at the Armed Forces Staff College. Before leaving for Korea, I had defended my dissertation, but had to reorganize the format. This I was able to do while in Korea, but they would not grant my degree without me being present. Therefore, I did not receive it until 1961, instead of 1960.

Figure 5-3-10

Boulton After Receiving His Ph.D.

Figure 5-3-11

Entrance to Inside Moat

By summer, I was able to sign for a set of quarters, an apartment in a converted barracks. It had three bedrooms, and the typical six-by-six that stood upright in the center of the living room and ran up through one of the upstairs bedrooms to support the roof and also hold it down. As at Fort Lee, there were three other apartments in the building, however there was an improvement over the heating and hot water systems. One nice thing was that we were almost next door to the Officers Club that was located on the beach.

Figure 5-3-12

Temporary Quarters at Fort Monroe

This made it great for going swimming, as the club had a beautiful pool, also on the beach. On Sunday afternoons we could sit on the beach and watch the ships pass through Hampton Roads. Many ships were going back and forth into the James River that was tidal up to Richmond; others passed through the entrance to Chesapeake Bay into the Atlantic Ocean. We could see the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel as well. It was a delightful spot, but unfortunately, one that we didn't fully appreciate at the time.

On the way from Illinois to Fort Monroe, Marian and the girls stopped for the weekend with Eames and Pat Patterson at North Geeen. I went up from Fort Monroe for the weekend. The generator on the Buick wagon burned out in Zienople, Ohio. I returned to Fort Monroe on Sunday night and the girls came in on Monday to start unpacking, etc. On Wednesday, July 12^th, I was promoted to full Colonel and Marian helped pin on the eagles with Colonel Marnane. We held a promotion party at the Casemate Room the following night, and two days later I moved out of the BOQ.

The next week we all went to visit Virginia and Jimmie Powell in Philadelphia. I had to go on into Fort Jay and Fort Drum in the New York area, then we toured the Washington’s Crossing area in Buck County and dinner at Washington Inn. Later we helped celebrate Jimmie’s birthday, went to Fort Dix, NJ to see the Radcliffe’s, and Chele drove the New Jersey Turnpike. On our return, Marian’s log is full of social functions, going to coffees, teas, cocktail parties, etc. I was in Fort Bragg, NC for several days then we took in a visit to the Mariners Museum, and later to Fort Story beach where the girls climbed the lighthouse. When we were on Post on Sunday we nearly always, after Chapel, went to Sunday Brunch at the Officers Club. The club was on the water, as I referenced earlier, but a beautiful setting. In addition, we all loved the beach at Fort Story. We had used it several times before; while stationed at Fort Lee, when at AFSC, and now we were much closer than ever. The Transportation Corps people always had something going on at Fort Story that made our visits interesting.

Figure 5-3-13

Chapel of the Centurion Inside the Moat

The family had not been with me long before General Ham and Mary Howze came to Fort Monroe. Ham was to be Assistant Commanding General, a job he really did not want. Their quarters were the second most beautiful on the post, right on the water, with a view similar to the one we enjoyed on the beach. It did not take Ham long to get his assignment changed to commanding the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, NC. As both were Army brats, and had over twenty-five years at that time together in the service, it was the first time in their experience that they knew only one couple on post when they arrived, the Millers. We had been together at 2nd Armored, also in Washington, and I had been with them while serving in Korea, but now Mary was left alone in a huge set of quarters while Ham went on to take over Fort Bragg. Mary said that she felt persona non grata after Ham left. We did what we could to look after her, but we really were not required to do much except take her to dinner and check on her from time to time. She thought a lot of Marian and it was too bad that we were not able to serve together more often. As the following figure shows, Ham was promoted to Lieut. General shortly after his arrival at Fort Monroe.

Figure 5-3-14

General ‘Ham’ Howze Getting His Third Star

The middle of August in 1961, Michele was registered at Hampton High School, and Marian went in for her Nurses Aide interview, and I made one of my numerous trips to the Pentagon in Washington, DC. For some reason, after my return we went to Fort Jackson, SC, Fort Benning, GA, Fort McClellan, AL. On these trips, when I could take the family along, I did. We all enjoyed it, except the girls I know tired of having to put up with my absence. Marian always had some trip lined up when we had a free weekend. For example, she loved to get acquainted with everything in our vicinity. One weekend it was to visit Yorktown Battlefield, the next we went to the Jamestown Glassblower’s.

On Saturday, September 2, 1961, we took Michele and visited Dean Lambert at the College of William & Mary. That evening we attended “The Common Glory” at Williamsburg. Also in September, Marian began her Nurses Aide work at the Fort Monroe Post Hospital.

Hurricane Esther came through on September 19, 1961, while we were living in the temporary quarters. We put the Buick station wagon in one of the casemates (old sea-coast gun emplacement) to keep it out of the salt water. I used Dad’s old Ford for our transpiration.

The following month, October, Marla had her eighth birthday. Shortly thereafter, I went to Fort Sam Houston, TX, Fort Hood, TX, and Fort Sill, OK, before returning. Upon my return, Marian was in a Capping Ceremony as a Nurses Aide.

Figure 5-3-15

Marian at Capping Ceremony

I finally had another chance to supervise a machine records operation. While in Korea, I submitted a recommendation for the improvement in the support the Eighth Army unit could provide. I had considered the support from a similar unit in Germany to be bad. The support in Korea was far worse. While in Germany, my recommendations were to hold off because a whole new system was being developed. That was nearly a decade earlier. Instead of getting better, the support had deteriorated. I never was able to find out what happened to my Korean recommendation. The last trace I could find was that it went from our division, through Corps Headquarters to Army Headquarters. I guess Ransone’s replacement slept on it. I was determined to make some changes to help the support of administration in the field. In an effort to accomplish something, I was able to make trips to Fort Leavenworth where the administrative support development was being conducted, but made no progress.

In November of 1961 we had a holiday, long weekend, and visited Appomatax Court House, Longwood College at Farmville, VA, VMI and Washington & Lee in Lexington, VA, and Natural Bridge.

Figure 5-3-16

Boulton’s Promotion to Colonel

The following week I spent at Fort Chaffee, AR. While I was away Eames and Pat Patterson came down for a visit with the girls. That Sunday, before I returned, Marian took the Pattersons and their guests from Mathews County to Chapel and then to Brunch at the Club. The guests were Liza and Dulaney Furlong, and Toots and Truman Kennedy. Dulaney’s owned the camp Michele attended in New England. Kennedy was a retired Vice President with one of the steel companies.

Late in November 1961 Marian and I were invited to attend the Commissioning of the USS Enterprise and the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. We were seated on Hanger Deck and had a wonderful view of what went on.

We all spent Christmas of 1961 with Eames and Pat Patterson at their home North Green in Mathews County, on the water, in Virginia. While there we attended the usual Xmas parties, but really enjoyed visiting Dr. & Mrs. Motz at their home “Snow Hill.” He was a retired from the State Department and had held many important posts in various countries. They were antique collectors and had some beautiful things including a sleigh in their huge hallway.

It was customary for the Commanding General to hold a reception on New Years Day that was mandatory that every officer and his wife attend. They were crowded affairs, but something we were all glad to have behind us. We had seventeen general officers at Fort Monroe when we were there, and as a full Colonel, I was just another one of many. In January 1962, General and Mrs. Powell held the reception. Seeing inside their beautiful quarters was worth the hassle of attending.

On February 4, 1962 we went to Yorktown to see “Savannah,” the first and only US nuclear powered cargo ship.

Another flood hit our housing area in early March 1962. We were evacuated out of the quarters. Michele was in school, I was at the office, Marla was returned home from the Post School. Marla and Marian were hauled away to the Officers Club by enlisted men in a 2 ½ ton Army truck. Marian said a big, fat Sergeant picked her up, threw her over his shoulder and carried her out to the truck. The wind hit over 75 mph and the salt water came up to the threshold of our kitchen door. That night we all slept in the Chamberlin Hotel. The next day the flood waters receded. You must remember that the water was all salt water! The following weekend Marian was asked by Major General Myer’s wife to accept the nomination as the Secretary for the Women’s Club. Marian accepted, and was elected, as shown in the following figure.

Figure 5-3-17

Marian as Secretary of the Women’s Club

In March of 1962, I made an inspection trip to four Reserve Corps Areas. These were the headquarters where all Army Reserve records were controlled and assignments made. This trip was at the request of my old friend Brig. Gen. Morey Halper in The Adjutant Generals Office. I found what I had expected to find; unfortunately, the records were being kept on punched card equipment that was not compatible. The corps areas were not using the same equipment; more specifically, they used different punched cards and their equipment could not read the cards used by the other equipment. Some had IBM equipment using 80-column cards while others used Remington Rand equipment using 90-column cards. The Major General in charge of all Army Reserves did not want this information to get out because, during an emergency, record information could not be used when consolidated. Of course, I found this out on my own and suggested to Morey that he send me to gather the facts, which he did. My trip included the corps at Minneapolis, Omaha, Indianapolis, and St. Louis. Morey sent a sedan for me when I returned through Washington, on my way back to Fort Monore, to bring me into his office to give him an oral report before I had my report typed up back at Fort Monroe. When I arrived that night, Marian went to my office and typed up my report so I could get it in the daily pouch to the Pentagon the following morning. My popularity with the people in the Pentagon Army Reserve Office could not have been lower. However, I must admit that I enjoyed it. Why someone did not anticipate the problem was easy—they were playing politics, trying to divide up the sales for the equipment without thinking what the results would be.

I volunteered Michele to become the bugler at the camp up in New England she was to attend that summer. We had a large and very dedicated Army Band at Fort Monroe, which was a part of the Adjutant General’s Office and up to me to supervise. I knew that Captain Petrelli could teach her and we would pay him for his effort. Needless to say, Michele became a bugler at Camp Farwell at Wells River, VT, Michele still has her bugle hanging in her home in Yorktown.

Marla began riding lessons at Langley Field. She was in jumping classes and dearly loved it. I saw that my Tennessee Walking Horses had really hit the dust because she was interested in Thoroughbreds.

Figure 5-3-18

Marla in her Riding Togs

Marian continued her volunteer work at the hospital and at the Thrift Shop. Michele was taking swimming. According to Marian’s log, I’m not sure who was taking First Aid Class, it must have been Marian. There a number of entries about getting Michele’s formal fitted, etc., getting ready for the Hampton High Senior Prom as she was a Princess in the Court of Honor and her date was Brent Metters 21, as Marian wrote it! (I put in the spelling for kicks because Marian was the speller for the whole family and at the office where she worked. Her spelling was terrific. I go to her log now to spell things I’m writing.)

In late May, 1962, we attended the Senior Class Play at Hampton High, and Marla cut her chin on the bottom of the swimming pool causing her to have tetanus shots. There are numerous entries of Eames and Pat Patterson stopping in because after we arrived at Fort Monroe that came down to use the commissary. There are many entries of Marian attending board meetings for the Women’s Club, and her Nurses Aid work, for example, how she was trained and became an aid at the surgical clinic. I was always going or coming from some trip, many to the Pentagon.

On June 14, 1962, Michele graduated at Hampton High School. The month is full of swimming, horseback riding, Marian’s work as an aid at the surgery where by then she had volunteered 168 hours, numerous club board meetings and cocktail parties. For example, on June 20, we attended a format dinner hosted by General and Mrs. Powell, our commanding general, for British General Sir Hugh C. Stockwell. This was a reception arranged by the British Colonel who was also on our staff as a liaison officer. Marian became a rather close friend with the Colonel’s wife since she found we had been in England and liked it so much.

On June 21, we left to take Michele to camp in Vermont. We took the ferry out of Little Creek, VA and an hour and a half later were on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. We drove to Fort Dix, NJ and stayed in an Army Guest House, had dinner with the Radcliffe’s, and visited McGuire AFB Club, The next night we stayed at White River Junction, VT in the green mountains. We drove across the Connecticut River to Hanover, NH to see Dartmouth College, visited the John Shelby Sugar Museum at Barre VT, and deposited Michele at Camp Farwell. I will never forget the look on Michele’s face when we left her, so forlorn. It was a cool, damp day with warm rain, and the camp was far more rustic than we had ever imagined. Marian bought her some warm pajamas to sleep in. We spent the night at Newburgh, NY and drove over Storm King Mountain four times to Lee Gate at the Military Academy. We crossed the Delaware Memorial Bridge on our way back, used the ferry again, and arrived back at Fort Monroe Sunday evening. Marian’s log shows 1450 miles (719 to Camp Farwell), all from Thursday to Sunday.

At the last of July in 1962, after living in the converted barracks, we were assigned a huge apartment in an old brick building next door to my office. It was beautiful inside with three big bedrooms, a living room, dining room, music room, kitchen, pantry, and one large closet I converted to an office. The office area was large enough for me to put a double-pedestal desk in it and still have room to close the door. Since we were on the second floor, we had a large room and bath on the third floor that went with the apartment. It was large enough that for one of Marla's birthday parties I had the Quartermaster bring over and put up ten steel cots and mattresses for the girls to use. In an effort to make the room look better when we first moved in, Marian and I painted it and put down a tile floor. The engineers furnished the materials. As Marian remembered, there were over 500-square feet in the room on the third floor.

Figure 5-3-19

Permanent Quarters for the Millers at Fort Monroe, VA

As often happened, when things for the family became complicated, I seemed to be away on some trip or another. Marian never complained. I did not appreciate what all she put up with without complaining about anything. When the day came to move, I was off to take my USARSTRIKE Field Computer Unit to participate in Swift Strike II an Army Corps maneuver at Fort Bragg. Marian had to manage the move to the new quarters on her own. I was gone fifteen days.

By 1962, the International Business Machine Corporation had been selling two small computers, the IBM 1620 and IBM 1401. The latter was for business applications, the former for scientific and mathematical support. The old punched card machines were not capable of handling the amount of data to be processed into information in the time frame required. It was the same old story, after the years it had taken to gain acceptance of punched card processing, no one wanted to give up the old ways of doing things. Computers were scary.

The Norfolk IBM Office was our supplier of punched card machines and equipment. I had made friends there and discussed my concept of mounting one of the small IBM 1401 computers in a military van and using the computer to support the administration of combat units under field conditions. IBM was all for my concept because they saw dollar signs from the sale of these quarter-million dollar machines.

Members of The Adjutant General's Office in the Pentagon told me to forget the idea because it would not work. However, my neighbor and friend, Colonel Knute Hannah, who was the head of War Plans for CONARC, thought the concept was worth a try. The Hannahs lived in the apartment under us. Hannah was able to get his boss to approve a provisional unit we could organize to man the computer unit in the field. By putting out the word using the telephone that we needed computer programmers, I received many applications, most of them under the table, not in writing. Since CONARC Headquarters had control of all the Army troops in the continental U.S., I could order in those soldiers we needed. Many of the soldiers had been chasing prisoners, on garbage details, and other similar jobs because the Army did not recognize computer programmers with an MOS (Military Occupation Specialty). The MOS that was in the system required the individual to have experience in wiring the old panels used to control the punched card machines. The soldiers I rounded up were terrific. Many had held responsible jobs in organizations where computers were in use. Some were from credit card sections of large oil companies, insurance firms, large department stores, banks, and similar locations. The soldiers treated me like a person who had rescued them. Later they wanted me to retire and organize a company. Could we have become another Electronic Data Systems outfit?

The Adjutant General's School had a lieutenant, a former IBM employee who would go back with the firm when released by the Army. I tried my best to get the Lieutenant assigned to the new unit but the commandant, Colonel Ransone, would not release him. Neither could we order him to CONARC without Ransone’s consent. The members of The Adjutant General's Office supported Colonel Ransone, and by this time were beginning to be afraid that my concept might work in spite of their objection. In an effort to be helpful, or so it was to appear, TAGO assigned a Major to help me out and take over the installation of the computer in the van. As it turned out, he was, in my opinion, a spy sent down to keep the Pentagon office informed as to our progress. He caused no end of grief, all the time playing the part of being most supportive. I was never able to nail him on actual subversive actions, but I knew that when I wanted something done to either do it myself or trust someone other than the Major. He was later promoted to Lieut. Colonel without my recommendation.

We worked up a combat readiness reporting system that was based on exceptions. Rather than submit reports of actual strength and amounts of equipment and ammunition, I used the total authorizations for each unit, then made the system compare the totals on hand against the authorized, providing the shortages. This was done for personnel, equipment, and training. The training was included because it is useless to have a tank with a crew that had not been trained to operate it. I knew from my experience with commanders that if they had these totals they could make much better tactical decisions than they were able to make without any information except what subordinate commanders reported. Under combat conditions, many enthusiastic commanders would often commit their units based on their own desires rather than the unit’s capabilities. Senior commanders could select the most appropriate units with this information, plus their knowledge of how much battle fatigue the units had endured. Many times the senior commander's selection of a subordinate unit to carry out a planned objective is based on the senior commander's opinion of the subordinate unit commander.

Lieut. General ‘Ham’ Howze was the commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, as referenced above. His Chief of Staff was one of my former bosses in the 1st Cavalry. They had no objection to using their corps maneuver, SWIFT-STRIKE II, to try out the integrated combat readiness exception reporting system concept. We had only 58 days to design, develop, program, test, and implement the new system. Out of this time period, only 38 days remained after the arrival of the computer. This brief time period was ignored by General Wickham, who later made an evaluation of the concept.

In spite of a lack of understanding or support by Corps Headquarters, we were able to conduct a successful test of the combat readiness concept. About the only interest the Corps Chief of Staff took in my operation during the two weeks I spent in the field was to raise heck with me because the brush we cut for camouflage was not fresh enough. We were only able to support the BLUE forces during the maneuver. It was not feasible to support the RED forces because we were located in BLUE territory. The major problem I had was with the Army generators used to power the computer and other equipment. We went through three of them before we found one that would operate correctly.

The Marine Corps had also been trying to obtain an IBM 1401 computer for similar purposes. They had done all the necessary paper work, going through the Navy, making their request, and having it turned down. Through IBM, I was able to contact the Marine in charge of their effort at Quantico, VA and fill him in on what I was trying to do. Since I was able to get a computer, they wanted to help develop the system and make use of it. As a result, I invited a Marine contingent to come to Fort Bragg and stay in the field with me during the maneuver. They were a great bunch and did much to offset some of the problems I had due to lack of support from The Adjutant General and his school.

After returning to Fort Monroe from Fort Bragg during the summer of 1962, we attempted to obtain authority to retain the IBM 1401 computer and enhance the Combat Readiness Reporting system. I prepared a briefing to give the Army Comptroller in the Pentagon, explaining what we had accomplished and what we could do if he would approve the retention of the computer. After taking my briefing team to Washington and making the presentation, our CONARC request was denied. When I returned, I reported the results to the general staff and was taken to see Lieut. General Truman, the Assistant CONARC Commander. (He was thought to be a nephew of President Truman.) After going over all the details, General Truman called the Army Comptroller, an old West Point classmate, and told him that he was bringing Colonel Miller and his briefing team back to the Pentagon for another briefing that he would sit in. We went back, General Truman argued our point, but to no avail; the IBM 1401 computer would not be retained and would be returned to IBM.

After the Marines found out how the Army Comptroller had turned down our request to keep the computer, they changed their tactics. Instead of obtaining a computer for use in USA, they were able to get an IBM 1401 delivered to them on Okinawa. A year later they came through Fort Monroe and gave us a briefing on the applications they had developed.

Marian’s log shows that I returned from Fort Bragg about the same time Michele returned from camp. She flew back and eliminated our trip to bring her home. The following week, Marian took the girls to Illinois. They had to stop in Washington, DC and pick up Michele’s luggage for some reason! About a week later, I went out to Illinois and drove back with them in time for Michele to attend orientation a Christopher Newport. Marla was involved in a “Roundup” at Camp Kicotan.

Needless to say, I was disgusted over the decision not to keep the computer, but I kept the unit together working with punched card equipment. Fortunately, we did not disband the unit because that fall the Cuban Crisis hit. Through my working with Colonel Hannah, we knew what was being planned because he was the planning officer for the invasion yet to be announced. As a result I had the unit out getting ready to go to the field just like we were going on another maneuver. I persuaded IBM into loaning us another IBM 1401 computer by promising that they would understand the need during a TV broadcast the following week. (Knute Hannah and I knew that President Kennedy was going to give a TV address about the Russian missiles in Cuba. He gave the broadcast on the Monday night, October 22, 1962.) IBM trusted me and shipped another computer to Fort Bragg where the van was stored that we had used during the summer on SWIFT STRIKE II. I was also able to have IBM send Mr. Harvey Miller to Fort Bragg along with the computer. Harvey was no relation of mine; however, he was one of IBM's professionals who had worked with us during the summer in the field at Fort Bragg. Everyone knew what was going on when President Kennedy told the nation about the Russian missiles and what we were doing about it. I took off with my unit the morning following the broadcast, headed for Fort Bragg, NC to pick up the van-mounted computer, Mr. Miller, and then on to the USARSTRIKE Command Headquarters we were establishing for the invasion at Homestead AFB, FL. I was the Adjutant General of the invasion forces.

Figure 5-3-20

USARSTRIKE Field Computer Unit

After we found that we were not going ashore, but would be staying on location for some time, it was up to me to keep everyone busy. If this is not done, individuals will find their own amusement. I had talked to IBM about van-mounting magnetic tape drives in one of the vans. This had never been done. Until that time we had used punched cards for all data files. IBM would furnish the tape drives if I would pick them up at their Poughkeepsie, NY plant. I selected one of my best sergeants, let him pick his helper, gave them an Army vehicle similar to a tractor-trailer, and sent them to pick up four tape drives at a location over 1,300 miles north of where we were in Florida. Upon their return we had all the IBM technicians in Florida out to help us install the tape drives.

Figure 5-3-21

IBM 7330 Magnetic Tape Drives After Van Installation

This was a wonderful opportunity to make use of all the technical help available to me before we had to return home. Nothing worked on-line as we think of today because the random access storage device had not been developed. However, we knew what we needed as far as getting things on-line, in as near real-time as possible. With the help of the Army Signal Corps we were able to hook up a closed circuit TV in the van that housed the printer, then display the TV picture of the printout on the TV in the War Room.

Figure 5-3-22

Our Attempted On-Line Effort Using a Closed Circuit TV

Figure 5-3-23

Boulton At A Van-mounted IBM Printer

Figure 5-24

Boulton Giving a Briefing

After being in Florida since October, I finally was able to get away and fly up to see the family on November 28^th and return on the 29^th. As Marian noted in her log, I was home for eighteen hours. Of course, I had to fly commercial, which means that I had to pay my own way in spite of the Army having plenty of planes!

It is hard to realize just how serious the tactical situation was at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. A number of the families at Fort Monroe left the area and went to stay with relatives in the mountains or in the Midwest. We were all concerned about the Russians launching a missile attack since we knew they had the equipment in Cuba. As usual, Marian was left to look after the family, and I was off with the command slated to go ashore. Marian received several offers from old friends such as the Patterson, the Thompsons in Charles Town, W VA, and the Powels in Philadelphia for her to come and stay with them. She knew that her place was with the Army at Fort Monroe and I never heard a work out of her about how she might have felt about the situation.

I did not return from Florida until December 10^th. It was with the convoy returning home that I had one of those “contract sandwiches” made by the lowest bidder the Army was so inclined to patronize; it was a chicken wing between two pieces of bread! Christmas, following my stint in Florida, we spent the holiday with Eames and Pat Patterson at their place up on the bay. We all loved to go there and they had so many friends in the area who were nice to us, making us feel like we were going home. Marian received her first stripe recognizing her work at the Post Hospital.

The story is well known that the Russians backed down because of President Kennedy's leadership, and we did not go ashore. However, being a good politician, President Kennedy came down to Homestead AFB to thank us for what we really had not done. We didn't have much to show him except the van-mounted computer and what we were trying to do with it. Fortunately, he understood the possibilities and complimented us on what we were attempting to accomplish. After his endorsement, the old Army Comptroller backed down and allowed us to retain the computer and take it back at CONARC. Authority to retain the computer in late 1962 was only the beginning of the in-fighting that began earlier that summer.

I prepared a two-volume after-action report of what we had accomplished during the SWIFTSTRIKE II maneuver. In spite of sending out 65 copies, the feedback was nebulous. After the trip to Homestead and being able to keep the computer, I thought that I had finally won, and we could spend our efforts perfecting the system originally conceived. Never in my life had I made such a stupid assumption. As it turned out, I had only won a battle, but was about to lose the war!

Since the CONARC command was also responsible for the Army Reserve and Army National Guard troops within the continental U.S., the Combat Readiness System could have been a solution to many problems that existed at the time. For example, on the trip I referenced previously to visit several of the Army Reserve Corps Headquarters, where I found that some of them were using the more standard IBM 80-column punched card equipment and others were using the antiquated Remington Rand gear and 90-column cards; this combat readiness system could have been used for all the Army Reserve and National Guard Units.

Brigadier General Wickham was by then the commander of what was called the U.S. Army Data Services and Administrative Systems Command, an operational unit under The Adjutant General. This command had been established in early 1962 by redesignating the old Data Processing Center, TAGO (which was the original machine records unit using punched cards). At that time, The Adjutant General was responsible for the machine records support of the Army. Some of the other Army services and branches of the Army, such as logistics, intelligence, engineers, medical, and signal, were either using their own punched card equipment, or making plans to do so since The Adjutant General was not providing the support they needed.

General Wickham came down November 30, 1962 to Homestead, AFB to visit us. Instead of making an attempt to build on what we had accomplished, his report did everything possible to tear down what we had done. Of course, it was written to hide his real intent, with a personal copy of the report and a letter to me telling me how well I had done. The letter did include his request that I provide him copies of the pictures taking during his visit "associating me with the kind of work with which we are engaged." I read it to mean, let me take some of the credit for what you have done even though you did it in spite of me.

A major incident occurred while we were in Homestead. One of my two "friends" who was left at Fort Monroe made a big top secret mailing error. I caught the violation accidentally by working late one night when mail was brought in and I found the document. I could not see how my boss back at Fort Monroe could lay it on me, but my "friend" had loaned me some of his enlisted men to handle top secret control. The Sergeants were in bed that night, fortunately for me, and could not carry out their mission, which was to cover up and blame the violation on me. The following day my boss called me to accuse me of my security violation. I was as mad as I had ever been and told him off in no uncertain terms, even although he was my boss back at Fort Monroe. What I failed to do was to report it to the Chief of Staff, General Duncan. I stayed home from a football game at the old Orange Bowl in Miami that night to work on the security violation, even though my ticket had been paid for. After they found out that I had the goods on them, they backed down and were able to cover up the whole incident. I will always think that it was a put-up job, trying to frame me. This is based on a comment the officer I call "friend" made to Marian about me probably having to return to Fort Monroe very soon. He made this comment after work the day the mailings went out of Fort Monroe. I never stopped kicking myself for not making an issue of the incident, but I learned to keep my back covered from then on.

My boss was Colonel Marnane's replacement and backed my two "friends" in all the things they tried to pull on me. For some reason, he was most resentful of whatever I was trying to do. For example, he criticized my fatigue uniforms I had tailored in Korea. He told me one day I was not authorized to wear them. One of our general officers had also served in Korea and must have gone to the same Korean tailor. I told the Colonel that when General (I can't remember his name) quit wearing his Korean-made fatigues, I'd quit wearing mine. He never mentioned the fatigues again. In order that the reader will not think I was just biased, when my boss was hospitalized for a burned hand (he carried a skillet that caught fire out of the kitchen in their quarters into the yard) his family told the Naval medical staff at the Portsmouth hospital to keep him in the hospital over the weekend as it was not convenient for them to have him come home! The hospital had wanted to release him on Friday.

I did not realize that I had lost the computer war until June 1963, when my boss non-concurred in a request from the General Staff that I be reassigned to the plans office with Knute Hannah, where I could work full-time on perfecting the integrated computer support system. My boss was able to obtain a second non-concurrence to the request by a fellow West Pointer, the CONARC Comptroller. By this time, the Army Comptroller had finally been able to get into the act, so to speak, because there were no positions for Army comptrollers in combat units at that time. The CONARC Comptroller saw a chance to take over another function, the computer support for CONARC. A major help in accomplishing this objective was the comptroller's ability to acquire the services of a consulting group called TRAG. This was done under the guise of developing a new data processing system for the entire command, not just the combat units for field duty.

Between the time we returned from Florida and the disapproval of my transfer to the General Staff, the computer support for CONARC changed from my initial integrated efforts to bring personnel, equipment, and training together, into separate functional systems known as "stove pipe" systems. These systems were designed to support each functional area as a separate entity such as personnel, logistics, etc.

Marian won the election for President of the Fort Monroe Wives Club. She had worked her way up the organization since being nominated for an undesirable position upon her early arrival on post by one of the wives of one of my “friends.” As it turned out for her, just as similar situations had turned out for me, it was just the introduction she needed. She did a great job in a position no one wanted. This gave her a foundation to build on and paid off many months later during the election.

Figure 5-3-25

Marian Receiving Gavel as New Woman’s’ Club President

That fall, 1963, I gave up my effort to make a contribution and began teaching during my spare time for George Washington University at Fort Monroe and surrounding areas. When I took this action, I decided that I'd take Karl Reyer's advice and go into education upon my retirement. My chances for making Brigadier General were impossible since I had made a run for what should have placed me in consideration for Wickham's former position in the Pentagon before he became The Adjutant General. However, I had failed to pull it off. My concepts were not accepted by the powers that were in control at that time. The best thing for me to do was to make other plans. It should be added that even though Wickham did become The Adjutant General as a Major General, he and his successors must have done something wrong because the top position of The Adjutant General was nearly abolished within the Army and a separate United States Army Information Systems Command established. The last time I contacted anyone in the Pentagon area the Adjutant General was moved out to some office in Alexandria, VA and there was a Colonel in charge. The position of The Adjutant General has not been included in The United States Government Manual since the 1986 Department of Defense Reorganization Act. This Act transferred many functions from the Army Staff to the Office of the Secretary of the Army; included was the function of information management.

During the interim, in 1969, the Army Communications Command was given the mission of integrating all the functional area systems, but failed. In 1984, when the Information Systems Command was established, the mission of integration was given to this new command. On April 11, 1994, in a telephone interview with a Mr. Mike Johnson of the Information Systems Command at Fort Huachuca, AZ, he confirmed that at that time they are still working to solve the problem of integration. According to the 1994/95 United States Government Manual, the Army Comptroller is still responsible for "management information systems in the financial area." This means that dollar and cents accounting is not integrated with other systems. At least I can identify that Brigadier General Illig, who was the CONARC Comptroller during and after the Cuban Crisis, was responsible for the initial downfall of the integrated reporting systems concept. It is unfortunate that he did not live to see the results of his endeavors. In addition, General Wickham shares some of the blame for taking a stand that The Adjutant General should only develop systems to support personnel accounting. This is one of the important “stove-pipe” functional area systems better known today as human resources.

Just as General Illig scuttled my efforts at an integrated combat readiness reporting system in the early 1960s by proposing a grand, new system to support the whole command; this type of effort has been repeated. One example was the development of five computer data processing centers at various locations under an extensive contract. The results of this effort are not available; however, no centers are still operational. According to the April 1996 Scientific American, Russell D. Varnado and a small firm called Pentagon Technologies filed a whistle-blower suit against IBM, Loral and the Army officials who manage the SBIS (Sustaining Base Information Services ) program. This is another projected effort to replace some 3,700 automated applications with about 1,500 by the year 2002. The same reference points out that in January 1996, top Pentagon officials reportedly killed the Corporate Information Management (CIM) initiative, which for six years had tried to consolidate and modernize thousands of the armed services’ old and redundant computer systems. In 1992 the Department of Defense projected CIM would help it cut $36 billion by 1997. The General Accounting Office, in contrast, concluded in July 1995 that Defense continued to spend about $3 billion annually to modernize automated information systems with little benefit.

General Powell retired in January 1963 and was later appointed Ambassador to New Zealand. He and Mrs. Powell were the last of the “old guard” type of leadership. For example, the wives wore hats and gloves to their social functions. They were good people though and admired and respected by all. The new commander was General John K. Waters, General Patton’s son-in-law. Mrs. Waters was most gracious and a person Marian liked very much. A new commander involves a change-of-command ceremony, reception, dinner dance, and some new policies. I was at the Strike Command headquarters at McDill Field, at Tampa, FL when most of this was going on and as usual, Marian had to go it on her own. I did return in time for a reception.

I made previous mention of the British Liaison Officer, Colonel Wallace K. Pryke. Through Marian’s friendship with Mrs. Pryke and having them join us at the beach we were included in most all their social functions. These functions included parties for visiting British officers and political figures; and of most importance to the British, the celebration of the Official Birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Another important event was celebrating “Canada Day.”

Figure 5-3-26

The Girls After Easter Sunrise Service

In April 1963, Michele won election as Secretary to Student Government at college, and Marla participated in the Langley Horse Show where she won a blue ribbon for 1^st place in a beginner’s Walk-Trot class on “Duchess.” Marian had her usual hospital work, club meetings, coffees, housework, luncheons, commissary shopping, and many other things. We attended the Easter Sunrise Services down on the water in front of the Chamberlin Hotel. Afterward we went to Richmond, ate at the John Marshall Hotel, and visited the Civil War Centennial Center, Lee’s House, the Capitol, Poe’s Home, and took Route 5 through Williamsburg on the way home.

I had forgotten, but Marian’s log shows that in April ’63 I briefed the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Edmund Pratt, on our use of the IBM 1401 computer.

In June we drove to Washington, DC for Fran Ponsalon’s wedding at the Walter Reed Chapel and Reception following at the club. Then we went to the top of Washington Monument and visited the Archives.

In July we went to Illinois to visit the grandparents. During a previous trip I had checked on Mother Fowler’s oil interests on the land she owned in the Carmi, IL area. A Mr. Rebstock, the man who held the lease, was not living up to the requirements for keeping oil wells within the environmental rules. On my previous trip I took color pictures to send to the State authorities in an effort to get help in making him clean up the place. These are shown in the following figures. One shows a picture I took of a neighbor’s oil well to show how it should be kept, and the others to show how these were not being kept. When we went through there on our way back to Virginia it was terribly hot, dirty, and no air-conditioning. Having Muffin, the dog, along made it worse for the girls who had to sit in the car while I dealt with Rebstock. We were all glad to get to the Holiday Inn afterward and go swimming.

Figure 5-3-27

Marian on the Beach

Figure 5-3-28

Boulton & Marian on the Beach

At Fort Monroe we saw a lot of Jane and Charles Balcer. Other close friends were Joe Prusaitis and his wife who moved into the apartment under us where the Hannah’s had lived. Herman and Lou Schmidt lived across the street and their daughter, Kathy, was a close friend of Marla’s. Marla also was close with Halle Dix, and a Taylor daughter, Kate. We continue friendship with Buddy and Martin Rosoff who were at Monroe when we were.

Just before school started in the fall of ’63 the Junior Army Daughters held their Annual Fall Fashion Show. Michele was president of the organization, and commentator at the show. Marian and Mrs. Reed were given credit for the script and the fittings. I was continuing my trips to Illinois trying to help with the management of the old Boulton Stock Farm. I really enjoyed the train ride out and back. I could do it easy with a three-day pass.

When I was assigned to WSEG, one of the senior Army generals was a man named Hightower. He had an outstanding tank command war record and was a Major General when I first knew him. While we were at Fort Monroe he retired and we were included in the post parties for him. In addition, I was included in the command plane load of officers who went to Fort Knox, KY to attend his retirement ceremony. I felt honored to be included, but it was at his request. Since he had such a distinguished career and was in the Armored Corps it was nice that he was recognized and able to attend the ceremony at Knox. I am sure that he was deserving of it. When I returned we attended the opening of the new Williamsburg Conference Center.

For Marla’s tenth birthday in October ’63, Marian supervised a slumber party in our third-floor, fourth bedroom, the large room we painted, put in a new floor, and fixed up to hold eight or more iron cots with mattresses for the girls to sleep on. It was quite a party with dinner, all going to the Clyde Beatty—Coles Circus, and breakfast the next morning. On October 20^th, I was the Layman Sunday Speaker at Chapel of the Centurion. Following brunch at the Club, I left for Washington, DC to be General Waters’ representative at the Association of the U. S. Army annual meeting. For this meeting I took the USARSTRIKE Computer Unit and a number of the people assigned for demonstrations. While I was in Washington, Professor Hattery, one of my old professors at American University, had me lecture there one evening.

When President Kennedy was shot in November ’63 we were going to Washington to attend a 2^nd Armored Division Party; however, it was canceled along with all other social functions during the 30-day period of mourning. The CONARC command held a memorial service on the Parade Ground.

The Pattersons came down and spent Thanksgiving with us for a change. Marian and Eames were the best of friends and Pat and I had been friends since we were both Lieutenants at Jefferson Barracks, MO in 1937. After the Pattersons went home, we went to Chapel the following Sunday, then brunch at the Club, and to Richmond to visit the Virginia Museum and specifically, the Tutankhamen relics.

When General Waters had a heart attack, Marian typed the General Order for me to have Lieutenant General Bowen take command. This was one of the jobs an Adjutant General performed. It came on a weekend and was a lot easier for Marian to come to my office and type it than try to find one of our civilians to come in to do it. Remember, my office was next door to our quarters.

We celebrated Christmas at home in our quarters. Brent came for Xmas dinner. I went to Washington to visit with Dr. Hattery as I was being considered for a position to teach with him at the university. However, they would not make an exception to their policy of not hiring one of their own graduates. It turned out for the better in the long run. We had been in Washington nine years (counting both tours in the Pentagon) as it was and without an ample outside income the cost of living was a big problem. We both liked the ability to be close to the action; however, teaching there was a bit of a fish-bowl atmosphere. When I returned, Marian had us lined up to go to Williamsburg to see Abby Rockefeller’s Collection. Then we saw the Walt Disney movie, “Incredible Journey.”

According to Marian’s log on December 30, Michele went to Windmill Point with Brent to bring back his boat via water, a three and a half hour trip.

We went to a dinner dance at the Club for New Years Eve with the Schmidts and Balcers. Then for New Years Day, we went with the Balcers to dinner at the Williamsburg Inn and stopped for a night cap at the Langley Field Club.

During the fall, winter, spring, and summer of 1963, I taught courses for George Washington University on a part-time basis, Tuesday and Thursday nights. Some classes were held at Fort Eustis in their Education Center, but most were held at Fort Monroe. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, when I was teaching, Marian’s log shows “Dr. Miller” as her entries. This opportunity gave me a feel for teaching and a chance to see if I really did want to go into education. Marla kept up her riding lessons at Langley Field. Marian continued to work at the Thrift Shop and the Post Hospital.

In February ’64, Marian paid Mrs. McLennan $28.00 for twelve cups and saucers she had made for her. Mrs. Mc did this as a hobby and was quite good at it according to Marian; at least enough for her to have her make up the items special. It was in February that Marian accepted to be nominated as president of the Officers Wives Club. The same week I went to McDill field on one of my numerous trips to keep myself up on the STRICOM planning and developments. This was during the early days of the command that was responsible much later for Desert Storm.

In March ’64 General and Mrs. Hugh P. Harris arrived with the general in command of CONARC. Marian established a splendid relationship with the couple and enjoyed their company for the remainder of our Army career.

Also in March, I made a trip to Endicott, NY for another session for a group of our staff to educate them in the computer support provided by IBM. It is really too bad that at that time I did not realize what should have been taught instead of being guided by IBM in what they taught. It was a learning process for all of us, but a costly one when you consider the time and effort explaining programming and its details. We were ahead of our time from the experiences in developing the integrated combat readiness exception reporting system. I simply did not realize to what extent we were ahead of all the other concepts at the time and did not fight hard enough for the concept to be accepted. IBM’s interest was in selling computer equipment and that was their business!

On March 7^th, we took Michele to Washington to attend Joan Kangas’ wedding. Marian bought Marla a spring coat at Woodward & Lothrop. In Marian’s log she noted that she paid General Waters $2.40 for an English Minton coffee cup & saucer. Perhaps one of the girls has it now?

On March 31^st, I received a call from Michele who was at home, with Marian at the Thrift Shop, telling me that she had a splinter in her foot. Since my office was next door I ran over to see what was going on. Much to my surprise the splinter was at least five inches long and deeply imbedded. I took her to the Post Hospital where they removed the splinter, gave her a tetanus shot, and put her on crutches. The floors where we lived in the old quarters had dried out and the hardwood split in places. Michele continued to have trouble with the foot. It was sore, would not heal, and no matter what we did, it continued to keep her from using it. Finally, on April 24^th she went back to the hospital and they opened up the wound and removed another inch of splinter that had been missed when she was there originally. This did the trick and the foot healed up without further trouble, but she had over three weeks of trouble.

Through Marla’s riding, Marian became acquainted with a number of different families on the Post. Among this group were Navy Captain and Mrs. Paige Knight we still keep in contact.Marian organized a Langley pool for people to take the girls over for riding lessons. This way it was not necessary for her to make the trip twice a week.

One of the subjects I taught at the time was personnel management (now called human relations) and kept active in the American Society for Personnel Administration or ASPA. In April ’64, I attended the ASPA national conference in New York City. My old instructor, Lowell Hattery was also there.

In May ’64, Marian was installed as President of the Officer’s Wives Club.

The week of her installation, for example, I had to make a trip to the Pentagon, Marla was riding and attending ballet, I taught two night classes, Marian had a meeting in her quarters, attended an executive board meeting at the quarters of the Commanding General, went to the beauty shop, the commissary, thrift shop, we attended a NASA Open House which included the Wind Tunnel, and a Horse Show at Langley Field. In addition, Marian had Kate Taylor for a visit prior to their departure for Ankara, Turkey, and we ate two dinners out. The week following, the Army Chief of Staff, General Earl G. Wheeler visited Fort Monroe and we had the usual reception and then an honor ceremony on the parade ground the next day. The latter included a nineteen-gun salute over Hampton Roads and four ruffles and flourishes played by our CONARC Army Band.

In June we attended the Commencement Exercises at Christopher Newport College where Michele was awarded an Associate of Arts degree.

During the early summer of 1964, I received a call from the Dean of the School of Business at the University of Alabama offering me a position as Associate Professor in his school. I was amazed at such an offer when I had never even been on their campus. However, upon asking some questions, I found that my old friend Karl Reyer had been my good Samaritan. The dean had been one of Karl's students at LSU. This was all I needed to decide to make a change and retire from the Army. However, I did not take the position offered at Alabama. Because of my father's death, my mother needed help running the old Boulton Stock Farm since that was her major means of support. I had been helping all I could for many years, but not very successfully. Marian's parents were both alive and lived in Illinois. I knew that it was best for us to go back home to Illinois. Marian had always liked to travel and was never one to gripe when a change in assignment came along. As a result, she was not in favor of going back anywhere, especially to Illinois. However, after I was called to Southern Illinois University for an interview and was offered a position, she never questioned my decision.

On the Fourth of July in ’64 we left Fort Monroe for the New York World’s Fair. We crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (17.2 miles) and stayed at the Holiday Inn at Moorestown, NJ. Jimmie and Virginia Powell came over from Philadelphia for cocktails and dinner that evening. The next morning, Sunday, we drove the hundred miles to the Holland Tunnel and to Battery Park to ferry out to Fort Jay on Governor’s Island where we had guest quarters for our stay while attending the fair. After lunch that afternoon we took a drive into the city to see Wall Street, Trinity Church, China Town, the Bowery, Greenwich Village, Avenue of the Americas, and enjoyed the glass dome on our station wagon because we could see the skyscrapers from the car. It was a great trip, no traffic to speak of, and an enjoyable day for all of us.

I did not remember that we saw so much at the World’s Fair until reading Marian’s log notes. We were only an hour to the fair grounds from where we were staying on Governor’s Island. ( The island was taken away from the Army and is now used by the Coast Guard.) We would cross on the ferry from the island by showing our Army Identification Cards. Then pay the fifteen cents fare on the subway to Times Square, obtain transfer tickets, and then board another subway out to the fair grounds. I would hate to make the same trip today!

We had a full week in New York and with Marian in charge of our schedule you can imagine how busy she kept us. In addition, she kept notes of everything we saw and did. We took the 0800 ferry each morning and did not return to our quarters until the ferry at 2215 hours. Marian saw to it that we saw what all she wanted us to see. We had two days of hot weather, but the other days were cool with rain one day, but as Marian said, it was a warm rain. The day it rained we toured New York City, St. John the Devine, United Nations, Greenwich Village, lunch at Cobbs’ Corner, Times Square, the Bowery, China Town, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building’s 102^nd floor, and were so glad we had taken the drive on our own the Sunday before because this reinforced what we had seen. That evening we went to Radio City Music Hall to see “The Chalk Garden.” Marian was right at home in NYC since she had lived there and still knew her way around. She took good care of us as she organized and managed the entire trip.

I will include some of the places we visited while attending the fair. A Mormon Church, IBM Exhibit, US Post Office, Parker Pen Co., Clairol, Pepsi Cola, and a number of country and state buildings—Japan, Hong Kong, USA, W. Virginia, Illinois, Montana, Swiss Sky Ride. We had lunch at Rheingolds and dinner at the W. Virginia Pavilion. The next day we visited the House of Good Taste, American Interiors, a Russian Chapel, Spanish and Austrian Pavilions, and went back to the Hong Kong to buy a bottle! We had lunch at the Brass Rail and dinner that night at the NY Port Authority Restaurant with a marvelous view, good food, excellent service, and decor as shown in the following figure.

Figure 5-3-29

The Family at the New York World’s Fair

It rained on Wednesday and I described our NYC tour above. I did not include that we ran into General and Mrs. Hurlbut during our tour. They were at Fort Monroe and, as I remember, she was most envious that we were staying on Governor’s Island while they were paying hotel bills. After all, he was a general officer and I was only a bird colonel! They even mentioned it when we ran into them years later at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, VA. I guess Mrs. H did not let him forget.

During the remainder of our fair trip we visited the pavilions of Korea, Berlin, India, Ireland, Thailand, China, Vatican, Philippines, Louisiana, and Missouri. These were all very interesting because they did their best to show what each was best noted for. Not that they didn’t exaggerate some; however, they were in competition with each other and this brought out the best in most cases. General Motors had an excellent exhibit as did the U.S. Rubber Co. with a huge Ferris wheel made to look like a tire. It was great. Before we left town we drove up the Hudson River to visit The Cloisters, Grant’s Tomb, and Fort Tryon Park were we ran into an old friend of mine, Col. Paul DeHaas at the Snack Bar.

While we were staying in guest quarters on Governor's Island, the call came in from Dr. Ann Schwier at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville for me to come out to be interviewed. Mother had been keeping me informed about the development of the new campus in Edwardsville, about 60 miles from where she lived. The new school was in operation at Alton on the campus that had been Shurtliff College. That was the school my grandfather Miller had attended to obtain credits for admission at the Rush Medical School. The new campus and school at Edwardsville was spun off by Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, located in the southern part of the state. The Carbondale institution had been a State Normal School.

It was not possible for me to go out to Illinois immediately on our return because I had class to teach on Monday night at Fort Eustis and had to obtain leave in addition. We attended an Honor Guard Ceremony for General Sweeney at Langley Field on Tuesday and Marian took someone to ballet in the afternoon, she also attended an Executive Cmte. Meeting for the Club, the Thrift Shop, and went by to see Alice McLennan. Colonel Mc was getting ready to retire and be replaced by Colonel Alex Ransone who left Korea and had been commandant at The A G School. I was not a bit happy to see him come since he would not release the (IBM) Lieutenant I needed for my field computer unit during the Cuban crisis. On the other hand, I was sure glad to see McLennan go because he had given up since he was not to receive a star before retirement. Mrs. Mc had been in love with a Lieutenant who was not a West Point graduate and her parents would not permit her to marry him. As it turned out, he became a general officer and McLennan did not. We always thought that she never let old Mc forget it! Anyway, it was good to see him go, although Mrs. Mc was always good to Marian and tried to influence him, but with little success.

By Thursday I was able to fly out to St. Louis, rent a car and drive over to Alton to visit the university people. I was told all about the new campus under construction at Edwardsville; however, no mention was made about the classes they held in a condemned high school in East St. Louis. Mother had kept me informed, but I did not ask questions because I wanted the job. I did hold out for an Associate Professorship since I had an offer from Alabama and at a salary to my liking. This Alabama offer was the best card I had to play. I also had an offer from Bradley University in Peoria, but considered that would be too close to Marian's parents for us to live there. A similar offer from Western Illinois University at Macomb, but it was too far away from my mother and the old Boulton Stock Farm. The Dean of the School of Business was ill and I only was able to see him for a few minutes, but he acted most favorably about my joining his faculty. The others I visited with, was interviewed by, and was taken to see the new campus, were mostly friendly except the man who ran the computer center who appeared to resent someone coming in who had some computer experience. As it turned out, he never was any help and was more opposition than helpful. Muffin didn’t like him either, as we were to learn later. When I departed, they told me that the University Board had to approve my being hired and that they would send me a telegram when it was approved.

I returned just in time to enjoy what Marian had planned, an A G Welcome Party for the Ransones at the Fort Monroe Yacht Club and for the party to serve as a Farewell for the McLennans. Marian had her hands full. I did not fully appreciate all the problems she had until reading her log. The week following the welcome/farewell party she hosted a Coffee honoring Mrs. McLennan, but Mrs. Ransone refused to attend. During all the activity, I was teaching a graduate level course two nights a week at Fort Eustis. Michele hosted a DUSA Splash Party at the Club, Marla had riding at Langley with Kathy Schmidt over for swimming, lunch, bowling, dinner, and to spend the night. That same week we attended a dinner party that Lila and Alex Ransone gave for the McLennans at their home, and Michele attended a Navy Officers Training Corps dance at Little Creek. On Sunday a Water Ski Event of some kind was held. Both Michele and Marla participated and seemed to enjoy water skiing.

Figure 5-3-30

Boulton at His Desk at CONARC

It took SIU-E about two weeks to obtain Board approval to hire me, and as promised, we received a telegram by the last of July that the position was available and all I had to do was to send a telegram back accepting. While we were preparing a reply, Joe and Louise Thompson came down from Charles Town, W VA to stay in the Chamberlin Hotel. At the same time we had to attend Colonel McLennan’s Retirement Ceremony at the Command Building where I read the citation for his Legion of Merit. We took the Thompsons to dinner at the Club, and Marian visited with Louise all the time she could. The same week we attended retirements for General Warren and General Brown. Saturday and Sunday were water skiing days for both Michele and Marla.

In early August an old friend from my CCC days arrived on post as a Brigadier General, Pat Devine. He had commanded one of the CCC companies in my area when I was an area inspector in the Chicago area stationed at Sag Forest. Pat had a find combat record and was so recognized. It was too bad that he had not arrived sooner when I was in need of help with my field computer unit. I really did not remember his wife, but she remembered me; probably because she thought Pat should have been given the job of area inspector instead of me. He was lucky to get away when he did. The week Pat arrived was the week we received word from SIU-E of my fall teaching assignments.

My decision came at a bad time for Marian. She thought that I would stay in the service another year at least, or she would not have accepted the position as President of the Wives' Club at Fort Monroe. This was one of the largest Army wives clubs in the country because we had so many installations in the vicinity that used the post for support and relied on it for social activities. She had over 500 members, and a most active group to manage. I really hated to tell her that it was time to move on. However, she went to tell Mrs. Harris, the Commanding General's wife, first, before I submitted my letter requesting retirement, and was the first to find out that the General was also going to retire to become the head of The Citadel, at Charleston, SC. Since we were both leaving at the same time and both going into education, Marian felt better about our decision.

On August 7^th, we arranged dorm space for Michele at the College of William & Mary, and I bought the antique step table we used many years. I can’t figure out how I had time to do this because I was still teaching at night and breaking in a new boss as well. Marian had her Executive Board meet at our quarters where she read her Letter of Resignation as Club President. After her morning meeting I took her to lunch at the Club where we began making arrangements for a farewell party for September 4^th, at our expense, to pay pack a lot of social debts and to say goodbye to some very nice people.

On August 17^th, Marian and I took Dr. Karl and Mrs. Reyer to lunch at Strawberry Banks, on the water near Fort Monroe, for lunch. They had completed a motor trip to Alaska and were anxious to tell us all about it. It was Karl who I served with at Whitehorse, YT, and it was Karl who was my mentor in getting me into college teaching. We kept in touch through the years. He was sorry that I did not accept the position at Alabama, but understood my desire to return to Illinois. It was a good thing I did not go to Alabama because I was a damn Yankee and would have had a rough time down there in the 1960s and later! We took Karl to lunch years later when he was ninety something and in a retirement home in Baton Rouge, LA. We were living here in Kansas at the time and on our way to New Orleans for me to attend a conference.

We went to Illinois a few days after the Reyers left to look for housing and to see what we were getting into. Much to my disgust, the real estate people and the bankers would not honor any service related loans for housing for the simple reason that they could charge more interest by not recognizing them. This made a problem for us financially because I had planned on being able to get what was known as a GI loan. It ended up that we would have to rent and there was little property for rent. We did find that a new apartment building was going up and they promised us an apartment by time we would need it in mid-September. We did decide on Edwardsville as the place to locate due to the new campus being built there. We spent a week out there shopping around in Alton and neighboring towns looking for something better than the apartment, but found nothing. I had promised Marla that we would get her a jumping horse when we got to Illinois, but that was just another problem I had yet to solve. Marian, Michele, and Marla were able to shop in Peoria for school clothing and visit with the folks. I spent time with Mother and could see how pleased she was that we were coming home. Marian’s folks were glad too that we would be just a little over two hours away. We had been gone a long time, and I was glad to be getting back home.

Marian printed all the invitations for our Cocktail Buffet Party. When Marian was in charge of arrangements, things really did get done, and to perfection, down to the small details. The party was in the Casemate Room at the Club from 1900 to 2030 hours. She had the food arranged on a blue net covered, cross table with a centerpiece using a silver three-tiered fountain with colored lighting, surrounded with banked magnolia leaves. In addition she had four silver candelabra with three tapers each. The mantle had a floral arrangement flanked by two tapers plus three other floral pieces on side tables. The menu included: lobster chunks with two sauces, chicken livers and soy sauce, water chestnuts in bacon, shrimp, chips & dip, deviled eggs, roast beef & biscuits, pretzels, mixed nuts, stuffed mushrooms, relish trays, peanuts, and finger sandwiches. I do not remember how many people attended but it was about a hundred. Neither do I remember what the bill came to! I was always sorry that Brent’s parents were not able to attend. I can’t remember if Michele and Brent attended? Marla had to start school that Monday, August 31, before the party on Friday night. We all relaxed on the beach that weekend with dinner at the Surf Bar. We did go to Chapel.

The following week, I drove our old Buick wagon to Washington, DC to trade it in for something that I could drive to class when teaching at SIU-E because I was told that I would be teaching on both the Alton campus and the one in East St. Louis. I found a nearly new Volkswagen, stationwagon, a 1964, S 1500, called a fastback, that an Air Force enlisted man had purchased and brought home to sell and make a profit. The dealer handling the trade was the Buick dealer in Arlington. While I was gone, Marian unloaded a number of things at the Thrift Shop to be sold and bought the two Haarkem, Holland mirrors that hang over my dresser now. She paid $12.00 for them. Kathy Schmidt held a Sayonara Brunch for Marla and gave her a horse statuette, but Michele’s DUSA Mother/Daughter Tea was canceled due to Hurricane Dora; however, Marianne Skelley did spend the night.

Talk about turmoil! The week we left Fort Monroe began on September 14^th, with the packers coming in, Marian attending all kinds of coffees, teas, lunches, etc. I put a stop to it as far as I was concerned, but she earned it all and I was so glad for her to be so well recognized. The Officers Wives Club had a Welcome Tea that turned into more of a farewell tea for Marian than anything because General Harris came to present her with his picture. This was a most unusual gift from the Commanding General of Continental Army Command, Hugh P. Harris, an autographed photograph. It was in appreciation for the work she had accomplished while living on the post of Fort Monroe, and in particular the work as president of the Officers’ Wives Club. He realized how much his wife had relied on Marian during her service as the club’s president, in the management of the Thrift Shop, and other post activities such as her hospital work, and took this unprecedented opportunity to show it. Mrs. Harris was most pleased that he had wanted her to have the picture, but she admitted that in all the years, it was the only time Hugh had ever recognized a wife in that manner.

Figure 5-3-31

General Harris’ Autographed Picture to Marian

Marian was also awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for Community Service while living on the post at Fort Monroe. The citation reads as follows:

“During this period (March 1961 to September 1964) you devoted many long and arduous hours to numerous community activities. Your unselfish and untiring efforts in the Officers’ Wives Club were evidenced by the positions you held, as President, Adjutant General Welcome Hostess, Adjutant General Office Representative, and as a member of the Reservations Committee. In addition to this already heavy schedule, you contributed your time as a Nurse’s Aide, Thrift Shop Secretary, and Secretary of the Thrift Shop Scholarship Committee. Your devotion to these tasks has earned for you the sincere appreciation of all members of the Fort Monroe Community.”

That morning my retirement ceremony was in the conference room at the Command Building with General Duncan to present the award. I received another Oak Leaf Cluster to my Commendation Medal. It took the Army a long time to decide that I was entitled to the award of the Legion of Merit that was awarded long after we had been in Illinois for nearly a year. General Duncan is the man I worked for at Homestead AFB during the Cuban Crisis. I really enjoyed serving with him although I could never really teach him to think in computer terms!

Figure 5-3-32

Boulton’s Retirement

The coffee that Lou Schmidt held for Marian was quite an affair as there were nearly fifty in attendance. Many brought small presents for Marian to remember them by. Kay Needles also gave a large luncheon for Marian. In the middle of it all, Michele went off to William & Mary to live in the dorm on Wednesday, September 16^th.

It does not seem possible now, but we were able to clear the post after lunch on Friday, September 18^th. The night before we went to Williamsburg to see Michele. It was a bad time for her, because she had been accustomed to having us near and now she was on her own. However, Brent and his family turned out to be of more help and encouragement than we could have ever hoped for. I don’t believe she would have made it had it not been for their help. We arrived at the Holiday Inn at Edwardsville Sunday evening, September 20^th, Marian and I driving both cars through.

On Monday, Marla started school in the 6^th grade at Columbus School, and I attended orientation at the SIU-E campus in Alton. On Wednesday we went to St. Louis to buy tickets to the Ringling Brothers Circus to be in the city later that week which we attended. The apartment was not ready for us and we had to continue to live at the Holiday Inn that was becoming quite expensive for the three of us.

After two weeks at the Holiday Inn the apartment was finally ready and we moved in on October 2^nd. It was much more crowded that I had imagined it would be. In fact it reminded me of the apartment we lived in when we moved with TAGS and lived in Indianapolis. By this time I was busy teaching and again, Marian had all the problems of getting us settled, unpacking, hanging pictures, etc, etc. I had to make a trip to Kansas City for some school function, right when Marian needed me the most. I can’t remember what it was about. In fact, I can’t remember going, but she saved a letter I wrote her while out there thanking her for letting me go. At least we both had cars and could go in different directions. This had been possible since my Dad died and Mother gave me their Ford that we later traded in for a Chevrolet Corvair.

I did not realize how much time we spent on the social circuit during that last year in the service. She had a lot of social functions we both attended. As Deputy Adjutant General, there were a lot of functions I had that we both were required to attend. My boss had long given up on any chance of getting a star and was resigned to ride out his tour of duty at CONARC and retire. As a result, he refused to attend as many social function he could avoid. He was able to avoid most by detailing me to go in his place. This meant that Marian and I were on the go four or five nights a week, plus double duty on weekends. It was not until we were settled in Edwardsville that I realized how much time we wasted going to cocktail parties, dinners, dinner/dances, and all the other ceremonies.

We had only lived in the apartment twenty-six days when Marian, on her way home with Marla after school spotted an empty house. She asked the neighbors about it, but was told that it was always rented to Shell Oil people who were managers in a big refinery in the Alton area. Marian called me at the office to see how I felt about our moving. We had been told that we had to get rid of the dog because they were not allowing dogs in the new apartment building. There was no restriction about dogs when we rented the place, nether had they made us sign a lease! As a result I told her sure, but warned her that she was going to do it on her own because I had three classes to teach and was up to my ears in class work, office hours, etc.

Marian could not see us living in an apartment after enjoying all the space we had been living in and what she had grown up with. She found out whom the lady was who owned the house and made an appointment to go and see her. Marian and Marla went to see Mr. and Mrs. Buckley, the owners, late that afternoon. One of Marian’s “adopted” aunts, years ago, had visited in Edwardsville with an Aunt Martha Palmer. Marian’s reception with Mrs. Buckley was not going too well at this point, but when Marian asked where Aunt Martha Palmer’s house was and Mrs. Buckley told her that she was sitting in her old living room, Marian was told that she could have the house to rent! ( This meeting took place on October 28^th.)I went the next morning with the girls to see the house on Marla’s way to school and before I departed for a day in Carbondale. Mrs. Buckley’s niece, Mrs. Eberhart, was to inherit the house and Marian had to meet with her.

Figure 5-3-33

Our Home at 204 Park Street

Edwardsville, IL

The house was old, but well cared for. Marian referred to it as the Civil War house. It was a show-place when it was new with a carriage house and pasture now sold off and many houses built. The woodwork was all walnut with walnut doors and beautiful hardware. I liked it immediately. It had a large bedroom downstairs with its own bath, large dining room, parlor, and kitchen with enough space for a dining table, back porch screened and glassed in, nearly a full basement, not a very good heating system, but an upstairs with four bedrooms. However, we could only use three of them because Mrs. Buckley had a lot of antique furniture stored in the one. Marian loved the mansard roof and large yard with two Gingko trees, one male and the other female. They were huge and had lots of leaves which we began raking even before we moved in.

Marian moved most of our small things by herself. For example, our clothing, all small items, pictures (I did help hang some, but she did most of it) all the kitchen things, bedding, etc. We had to buy a new stove and refrigerator, but it was nice to have our own things for a change. She cleaned all shelves and papered them, had Mrs. Buckley get us new cellar doors for the outside entrance to the basement in addition to the one in the kitchen. In addition to all she had going on, Marian baked cookies for us and enough to send Michele four dozen and eighteen to Martha Mick. Mrs. Mick was the sister of a Chaplain we knew in the Army and had been told to look her up. Her brother had been with one of the paratrooper divisions and had an enviable War record.

We actually moved on Veterans Day, November 11^th. As I look back on it, Marian did a terrific job in getting the lights, telephone, water, and all that goes with making a house livable in the amount of time she did it in. She must have made a half-dozen or more trips each day to move things over and worked into the night getting it livable, putting up curtains, drapes, etc. On November 14^th, her log shows that she raked leaves all day. That was the day she put so many leaves in the mattress covers that we could not move them to get them hauled away. I felt so sorry for her because she had worked so hard and did not realize how heavy the leaves were. We had never had Gingko trees and knew nothing about their leaves, which were oily in texture and would not burn as other leaves. There was a difference between the male and female leaves as well. When they fell, all the leaves from the tree would fall within a single day and leave leaves nearly knee deep in the yard. What a mess. After the first year, I bought a riding lawn mower that had a leaf-chopper attachment, and we could chop most of them up, but also had to have many hauled away. They were beautiful trees and the leaves a bright yellow when they turned in the fall of the year.

Marian’s log shows that we started attending St. Johns United Methodist Church on Sunday November 15^th. We kept our membership there all the time we lived in Virginia and in Kansas.

Michele came for Christmas to see her new Illinois home. I went to Peoria to bring Marian’s parents down for the holidays and then a trip to Palmyra to bring Mother down too. The house did not heat well at all because they had skimped on putting in proper hot air pipes when the furnace was installed. We had two fireplaces, but no gas heat connections. I tried to have gas installed for the fireplaces, but was never able to. It was a cold house, but the three of us made it OK by shutting off the parlor and eating in the kitchen most of the time. We all loved it there.

During the Christmas holiday and while Michele was home, I went to Chicago to meet and attend a conference headed by Professor Jay Forrester from MIT. I had wanted to meet him for a long time and enjoyed the opportunity. He is known for developing what he called Industrial Dynamics. Forrester established the Forrester Research organization located in Boston and has continued to do well. (I made reference to him in my 1994 Knowledge Development Report when discussing Peter Senge.) Marian had to put Michele on the plane in St. Louis without me. I did get my mother back to Palmyra, but she had to take her parents back to Peoria.

As it turned out, the move to Edwardsville proved to be most beneficial for the family. Our parents enjoyed having us back in Illinois. We needed to be there.

Figure 5-3-34

XMAS 1964