Talk:Garrison B. Coverdale
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After being drafted into the army and completing basic training at Fort Dix, NJ, in 1960, I was chosen to be trained for Army Inteligence work at Fort Holibird, Baltimore, MD. After completing my training as an Army Intelligence Coordinator, I was assigned to the adjudication department in the G-2 section at Fort Holibird. (The name change from Army Counter-Intelligence Corps to Army Intelligence was taking place around the same time.) I remember when we were informed that a new commanding officer was to be assigned to Fort Holibird and that he was to personally meet everyone on the post. We were all rehearsed on what to reply when General Coverdale stood in front of us and ask what our job function was. After telling him the required information, his reply was "You need a haircut, soldier". I was never one to get short haircuts, but his reply did startle me. Afterwards, the major in charge of our section told me that those crew cut haircuts are nice, but did not insist on my having one - I did just get a regular cut after his admonition. Another soldier in our department was immediately removed from G-2 and reassigned to the laundry room for answering the general with a flippant remark trying to be funny. The tall, rough-spoken general was a serious minded person who did not tolerate humor in a serious setting. I believe his personal contact with each soldier assigned to Fort Holibird went a long way in establishing his leadership personality of the Army Intelligence Corps.