The Civil Affairs Staging Area (CASA) also known as the Civil Affairs Holding and Staging Area was a combined U.S. Army, U.S Navy military formation authorized by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on June 18, 1944, during World War Two for military government theater planning, training and provision of military government personnel to areas of the Far East liberated from the Empire of Japan, including East China, Formosa and Korea.Army Hist. Vol. 1, p. 11
CASA had two divisions: The Operations and Training Division focused on language instruction and execution of civil affairs duties at a local level. These duties varied greatly and, as an example, included mass feeding of civilians, camp sanitation, provision of medical supplies, containment of epidemic diseases, labor relations and rodent control. The Theatre Planning & Research Division developed plans for military government at a national level such as control of Japan's economic institutions, control of Japan's education system and methods for increasing the overall supply of food throughout, not only Japan, but also previously occupied areas like East China.
CASA provided comprehensive training and planning in civil affairs administration to officers coming from six schools of military government established at various universities throughout the United States.Army Hist. Vol. 1, p. 23 Army and Navy personnel trained by CASA numbered in the thousands, with more than 1,000 officers assigned to a wide variety of civil affairs positionsWilliams p.411 for the initial occupation of Japan alone.Takemae The goal of the U.S. Army's Civil Affairs Division in the creation of CASA was to replicate the same success in the Far East experienced by the Civil Affairs Division in the European Theatre.Army Hist. Vol. 1, p. vii
General John H. Hilldring ordered Colonel Hardy C. Dillard, Commander of the Civil Affairs Training Division for the European Theater of Operations, to take command of CASA from Colonel William A. Boekel and implement the European Civil Affair's planning and training program.Army Hist. Vol. 1, p. 28 Colonel Dillard was relieved of command on 20 July 1945 by Brigadier General Percy L. Sadler.Army Hist. Vol. 1, p. 28
Background of Civil Affairs planning for the Far East
The China-Burma-India Theater
Shortly after the establishment of a Civil Affairs Division in the War Department in March 1943, a circular letter was sent to the commanding generals of all theaters offering the services of the Civil Affairs Division and of trained Civil Affairs officers. In response to a request from the Commanding General, United States Army Forces, China Burma India Theatre, Colonel William A. Boekel and Colonel (then Lt. Colonel) Mitchell Jenkins were ordered to New Delhi, where they arrived 4 May and 14 May respectively. Their first month was spent familiarizing themselves with the general situation in the countries of Southeast Asia. The American Civil Affairs officers received the distinct impression that the British officers regarded Burma and other British territory as definitely a British Civil Affairs area, with which the Americans should have no concern. As a result of policy conferences, this attitude was translated into a formal statement of basic policy, approved by American and British headquarters. Once established, this policy left American Civil Affairs officers no function except that of liaison with British agencieArmy Hist. Vol. 1, p. 1 Colonel Boekel and Lt. Colonel Jenkins continued their studies of the countries of Southeast Asia, as well as the question of United States Civil Affairs activities in Japan proper, China, Korea and Manchukuo. Their work resulted in the formulation of certain tentative plans for the military government of Japan, and for the procurement, training and organization of Civil Affairs officers for the Far East. Their conclusions were embodied in a series of letters, of 26 August, 19 October, and 6 November 1943. The recommendations contained in these letters were approved by the Commanding General, China Burma India Theater, and transmitted by him to the War Department. In the preparation of the last two letters, assistance was given by Mr. John Davies, Political Adviser to Lieutenant General Joseph W. Stillwell, and by Mr. Monroe Kail, member of the American Mission in New Delhi. Both of these gentlemen concurred fully with the plans and recommendations contained in the letters.Army Hist. Vol. 1, p. 2
The Civil Affairs Division - War Department
Colonel Boekel was ordered, December 1943 to duty with the Civil affairs Division at Washington, although he was technically still assigned to Headquarters, USAF (United States Army Forces), CBI Theater. Upon reporting to Major General John H. Hilldring, Commander, Civil Affairs Division, Colonel Boekel was directed to assist the General in Civil Affairs planning and training for the Far East. The Civil Affairs Division directed its primary effort toward procuring a State Department, War Department (Operations Division); and Joint Chiefs of Staff declaration of policy with respect to United States Civil Affairs administration in the Far East. Such a statement was dependent, in large measure, upon certain long-range policy decisions within the State Department. General Hilldring wrote to the Chief, Naval Office for Occupied Areas, 25 January 1944:Army Hist. Vol. 1, p. 3 "It is anticipated that at an early date the State Department will issue written decisions of policy defining the current and postwar interests of the American Government in the above referred to areas. Upon receipt thereof, appropriate directives will be issued to the several military commanders in these areas... No definitive statement has thus far been made by the Army with reference to Korea and Manchukuo because the question as to whether or not there will be American participation in the administration of these areas is one which still awaits State Department determination."
The Civil Affairs Division's project, that of bringing together the various agencies involved in arriving at a joint decision, progressed satisfactorily. After four months in Washington, Colonel Boekel was able to report that "On 13 May 1944 J,C,S.. Paper 819/2 was issued by the J.C.S. approving certain basic assumptions for Civil Affairs planning purposes for specific areas in the Far East and Pacific Ocean. This Paper is substantially responsive to the inquiries and policy recommendations made by the Commanding General, USAF (United States Army Forces), China Burma India Theater in his letters to the War Department dated respectively 26 August, 19 October, and 8 November, 1943. The Paper as approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff embodies the composite views of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War, the State Department, the Civil Affairs Division (CAD) and of the U.S. Navy, and was 'sweated' through twenty-one drafts. General Hilldring regards the paper as of primary importance in that it gives initial direction and impetus to Civil Affairs "planning." In addition to policy planning, the Civil Affairs Division was concerned with plans for the procurement, training and organization of Civil Affairs officers for the Far East. As early as January 1944, it was reported to General Hilldring that, "the program is well under way for the training of 1500 officers for use in the operational and administrative functions." The Navy was invited to participate in the Army-training program as well as in the subsequent Civil Affairs administration of Japan to the extent of twenty-five per-cent of the personnel required. This invitation was confirmed later in papers of 10 December and 22 December 1943."Army Hist. Vol. 1, p. 4
Initial planning at the School of Military Government
The procurement of fifteen hundred officers for Civil Affairs work in the Far East was provided for in War Department Circular No. 136, 8 April 1944.Army Hist. Vol. 1, p. 5 The first exclusively Far Eastern class at the School of Military Government, Charlottesville, Virginia, opened 12 June 1944 at the [University of Virginia]. While the Civil Affairs Division in Washington was busy coordinating the planning activities of the numerous agencies concerned with Civil Affairs, the School of Military Government in Charlottesville, VA was developing an informal Civil Affairs Planning Staff. Colonel Boekel wrote to General Ferris, 23 January 1944, that he would be in Charlottesville to interview 4 officers 'earmarked' for Asiatic Theater duty and to lay the foundation for the organization of the nucleus planning staff, which initially consisted of 4 Army and 3 Navy officers. A week later, Colonel Boekel wrote, that An embryonic planning section had been set up at the School of Military Government in Charlottesville, Virginia, consisting of five U.S. Army and three U.S. Navy officers and that Lt. Col Arthur Dobson was tentatively earmarked for General Albert Wedemeyer but was to be retained at the School of Military Government pending determination of the larger question of policy as to the extent of participation in SEAC (South East Asia Command). Colonel Boekel summarized personnel in the initial planning group as follows:
Majors Faxon, Hudson and Dapert originally designated for assignment to the China Burma India Theater were held at the School of Military Government (SOMG) pending the determination of other policy questions. Major Isaacs was selected out of a group of 11 as an additional planner. Major Isaacs was born in Japan, speaks Japanese and is a successful San Francisco fisheries expert. Senior Surgeon - William W. Nesbitt. Lt. Comdr. Robert T. Secrest - a graduate of the Navy Military Government School and of the Wimbledon Military Government School. Lt. Warren S. Hunsberger - a learned and accomplished economist.
The planning section completed and maintained a current and basic Military Government plan for Japan Proper and its personnel were added to from time to time in the ratio of 75% Army and 25% Navy. According to Colonel Boekel in a letter to Colonel Jenkins dated 14 April 1944, the informal planning group at the SMG (School of Military Government) was, "involved in some very rough spade work in anticipation of what the several theater commanders or Navy Area Commanders may require to complete their planning when a directive is issued to them." Colonel Boekel noted that the theater commanders would not be bound by anything planned by the Far East initial planning group at the SMG (School of Military Government). The group, according to Colonel Boekel, served best as the focus for the procurement of survey data from the dozen or more federal agencies charged with the responsibility of getting out handbooks and guides for specific areas.
Planning for a Civil Affairs Holding and Staging Area