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Show 768 The National Geographic Magazine revolutionary moves since Elihu Root set up the General Staff in the War Department. Created in SHAEF, and in all subordinate American headquarters down through the Corps, is a fifth element of the General Staff, "G-5." It takes equal place with other General Staff divisions and is assigned primary responsibility for matters concerning civil affairs and military government. To execute the policies developed by this new staff division and issued as orders by the commanders concerned, the Army has created new field teams, known in liberated countries as "civil affairs detachments" and in Germany as "military government detachments." It is these detachments who are the "doers," the men who are blamed if a Nazi stays in office or praised if French refugees are fed in the middle of battle. One novel aspect of the detachments when they operate in liberated countries is that, like the tactical operations which they support, they function on a combined British-American basis. Detachments operating in Liege and Lyon, Nijmegen or Namur, all comprise equal numbers of British and United States officers, fly jointly the flags of the two countries, distribute supplies procured jointly by the two nations, and, in the words of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, "display all the characteristics of a combined undertaking." In Germany, because Americans and British are ultimately to occupy different zones, the detachments are staffed on a national basis but follow a common policy, use standard forms and operating procedures, and freely interchange liaison officers and observers. British and Americans Work Together Nowhere is the combined nature of civil affairs and military government activity more apparent than at SHAEF. In the G-5 Division there, British and United States officers are sandwiched in with no apparent regard for nationality. Assignments are made on the basis of talent and capacity. Under Canadian-born British Lt. Gen. A. E. Grasett, United States Brig. Gen. Frank J. McSherry is senior advisor on civil affairs and military government to General Eisenhower. General McSherry led Allied military government in Sicily and Italy. He was then moved to the European Theater to supervise the planning for the conduct of civil affairs in liberated Europe and military government in Germany. Assigned throughout the military organization created to cope with the problems of liberation and conquest are thousands of officers selected and trained in the United States and later in the United Kingdom for the job they are now doing. Names familiar in their home States for experience in civil administration and other fields of public life are common on this roster. No single branch or service in the Army boasts a greater collection of civilian talents. "As Modern as Radar" It is said that the test of a man or an organization comes in adversity. Civil affairs detachments proved themselves during Von Rundstedt's sudden break-through in the Ardennes last December (page 752). With the first flush of liberation past, the small Belgian and French border towns in the path of the advance had settled down to rebuilding their governments, organizing their distribution, and relaxing in their new freedom. Then the rumble of battle was heard again, from the direction of Germany. Officials fled, fearing German reprisals, refugees clogged the roads once more, and the rumors began. "The Allies have had a tremendous defeat!" "The Boche will be in Paris in a few days!" "It is 1940 all over again." Civil affairs detachments were no longer liberators, but representatives of a defeated army. But by dint of their individual personality and exercise of their long training, the officers were able to assume authority among a strange people in a strange land. Mayors were evacuated to safety, civilians who had nothing particular to fear were induced to stand fast, rumors of defeat were scotched, tall tales of parachutists in Allied uniform and of mysterious smoke signals were investigated, refugees from forward areas were fed, and civilian looting curbed. These detachments were often the last Allied units to evacuate before the German push. They left with the reassuring words, "We'll be back in a few days." Elsewhere they stood fast, as did Lt. Sherman Hoyt, of New York, with his detachment during the siege of Bastogne. For some time these teams will be the "doers" in Europe. When you read of decisions taken by statesmen to adopt a policy toward Germany, it will be the personnel of these detachments who execute it, for nowhere else is there available and organized a group in sufficient numbers capable of exercising the control over Germany required for years to come. To an assembly of his military government detachments just prior to D Day, General Eisenhower said, with good cause, "You are as modern as radar and just as important to the command." |