Fighting Fascism in Europe: The World War II Letters of an American Veteran of the Spanish Civil War

Appendix B

APPENDIX B Lawrence Cane’s Request for Reassignment to Combat or Airborne Engineer Battalion1 FIVE HUNDRED EIGHTY SECOND ENGINEER DUMP TRUCK COMPANY Camp Claiborne, La. August, 1943 SUBJECT: Reassignment TO: Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C. (Through Commanding General, EUTC, Camp Claiborne, La.) 1. The undersigned officer of the 582nd Engineer Dump Truck Company, Camp Claiborne, La., feels that he has been misassigned and requests reassignment to any combat or airborne engineer battalion. 2. The officer has had almost two years of combat experience, having been a lieutenant in the infantry of the Spanish Republican Army during the recent Spanish Civil War. He is also a graduate of the following service schools: a. Engineer OCS, Fort Belvoir, Va., Mar. 3, 1943 b. Military Intelligence Training Center, Camp Ritchie, Md., May 11, 1943 c. Cadre Officers’ Course, Fort Belvoir, Va., July 31, 1943 3. The officer feels that this background of practical and theoretical experience together with his enthusiasm for combat work qualify him to contribute much more to the Service in a Combat or Airborne battalion than he is capable of doing in his present assignment. 1 Letter in possession of David E. Cane. 222 APPENDIXES 4. He has no experience with motors or motor vehicles, and knows nothing about their repair or maintenance, which is the main problem for a truck unit in any theater of operations. This being the case, he cannot feel any enthusiasm about his present job. 5. Since a man’s performance as a leader of soldiers depends chiefly on his enthusiasm for his work and ‘‘knowing his stuff’’ the officer, despite a conscientious attitude, feels that he is handicapped. He will be able to function at only a fraction of his capacity in his present assignment. 6. On the other hand, assignment to a combat or airborne battalion will place him in a position where he can use his experience and training to the best interest of his troops and his Nation. LAWRENCE CANE 2nd Lt. CE. 582nd Eng’r Co. (DT) ...