TLS, one page, 8 x 10.75, Headquarters, Allied Forces Southern Europe letterhead, November 12, 1952. Letter to Chet Novak, president of the 82nd Airborne Division Association, in part: "About a month or so ago I talked to General Collins up in Austria and at that time he made some reference to the propriety of the Commanding General of the U. S. Army's Airborne Corps sitting on the JCS. He seemed to have been aware that the Division Association had recommended it. I had assumed, therefore, that you probably had adopted such a resolution. Interestingly enough, at the same time I met a Congressman Teague of Texas who was touring Europe. He told me that he had delivered several good talks on the floor of the House of Representatives at the time the Marine Corps bill was being considered. In one of his talks he discussed at some length the Airborne Forces as a readiness force. A few weeks ago I received a copy of his talks and one of them recommended exactly what your resolution proposed, that is, that the Commanding General of the Airborne Corps sit on the JCS to provide technical advice in the case of an Airborne requirement developing. I think that it is interesting that these ideas have developed in separate quarters, and I think that the resolution of the Association will probably prove to be one of the most valuable contributions that they could make to our present national defense thinking. There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that Korea could have been prevented if we had had a sizeable Airborne force ready to move at once rather than waiting for a gradual build-up by sea such as we did. Even after the Inchon landing if we had the capability of moving up to Yalta by air the entire mess, too, could have been stopped. As it is there is no telling how it will come out; despite our new President's good intentions I am sure it will prove a very difficult task for him." In very good to fine condition, with a short tear to the top edge of the first page, and two file holes to the top edge of the second page. Accompanied by Novak's retained carbon copy of his two-page letter to Gavin.
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