PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVED
CONCLUSIONS
1.
When first notified on 9 October 1947 of my assignment
to Operation Sandstone, the 2d Engineer Special Brigade which I
commanded, at greatly reduced strength, was widely dispersed at
schools and various detached missions.
The most urgently needed
task wes to reassenble the unit and build up the three companies
which were to take part in the operation by transfer of all
available men from the companies remaining behind.
This complex
task kept both me and my entire staff fully occupied up to the
time of embarkation and prevented my making a personal reconnais~
sance of the site, although the opportunity was offered.
Such a
reconnaissance should be made by a Task Group commander, although
the excellent report of the Joint Task Force siaff officers who
did make such a reconnaissance largely made up for the lack of it.
2.
The unit fran the 2d Engineer Special Brigade was sucess-
fully assembled and prepared for overseas movement » arriving at
Eniwetok Atoll om 23 and 28 December 1947,
I arrived by air
20 ‘December.
3.
The advanced detachment, consisting of the 1220th Pro-
visional Engineer Battalion, under command of Major Wim, had
arrived on 29 November from Haweii and had established mess and
other administrative facilities.
They had also unloaded prelimi-
nary shipments of constructim supplies and equipment.
nary work was well under way.
Section Vie
* ‘PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVED
Prelimi-