Raymond Albert Wheeler

He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1911,[1] subsequently participating in the construction of the Panama Canal and working on engineering projects in Mexico with Douglas MacArthur, who was then a captain in the Corps of Engineers. He fought in France during World War I, for which he won the Silver Star and a Distinguished Service Medal.[2]

At the time the United States entered World War II, Wheeler was developing a transportation network in the Middle East to ship munitions to the Soviet Union, which involved the extensive rebuilding of the railroads and highways of Iraq and Iran.[2] In autumn 1943, he was appointed to the South East Asia Command (SEAC) of the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II on the staff of Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, where he served as principal administrative officer and directed construction of the Ledo Road.[2] From February 1944, he served as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander, replacing General Vinegar Joe Stilwell,[1] and was the United States' representative in August 1945 at the Japanese surrender in Singapore.[2]

He served as Chief of Engineers for the United States Army Corps of Engineers from October 4, 1945 to February 28, 1949, managing major projects including the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Missouri Valley Development.[2] Following his retirement from the army, Wheeler joined the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development as an engineering consultant; among the projects he was consulted on was a 9,000‐mile survey of Indus basin water resources.[2] He directed the clearing of the Suez Canal following the 1956 Suez Crisis.[1]

Wheeler's military awards included the Silver Star, an Army Distinguished Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters[3] and the Legion of Merit. In 1947, he was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) for his construction of the Ledo Road,[2] and was also appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE, Military Division) in 1945.[1][4]

He died on February 9, 1974 at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was survived by his widow, Virginia; a daughter, Mrs. William C. Wilkinson of Oakton, Va.; two sisters, Mrs. Visa W. Thrush and Estella M. Wheeler, and two grandchildren.[2][1]

Insignia	Rank	Component	Date
No insignia	Cadet	United States Military Academy	15 June 1907
No pin insignia at the time	Second lieutenant	Regular Army	13 June 1911
	First lieutenant	Regular Army	3 September 1913
	Captain	Regular Army	1 July 1916
	Colonel	National Army	2 November (accepted 6 November) 1918
	Major	Regular Army	5 August 1917 (temporary) 1 July 1920 (permanent)
	Lieutenant colonel	Regular Army	11 July 1918 (temporary) 1 August 1935 (permanent)
	Colonel	Regular Army	1 February 1940
	Brigadier general	Army of the United States	29 September 1941
	Major general	Army of the United States	11 March 1942
	Lieutenant general	Army of the United States	21 February 1944
	Major general	Regular Army	1 October (accepted 4 October) 1945
	Major general	Regular Army, Retired	24 January 1948
	Lieutenant general	Regular Army, Retired	1 March 1949

Source:[5][6]

• China Burma India Theater of World War II
• Major General Albert Wedemeyer, Lieutenant General Daniel Sultan