Raymond Albert Wheeler

Raymond Albert Wheeler (31 July 1885 in Peoria, Illinois – 9 February 1974) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

Raymond Albert Wheeler
Born(1885-07-31)July 31, 1885
Peoria, Illinois
DiedFebruary 9, 1974(1974-02-09) (aged 88)
Washington, D.C.
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service1911-1949
Rank Lieutenant general
Commands heldChief of Engineers (1945-1949)
Battles/warsVeracruz Expedition
World War I
World War II
AwardsDistinguished Service Medal (4)
Silver Star
Legion of Merit
Hon. Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)
Hon. Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE)
Grave at Arlington National Cemetery

Career

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]

Dates of rank

InsigniaRankComponentDate
No insigniaCadetUnited States Military Academy15 June 1907
No pin insignia at the timeSecond lieutenantRegular Army13 June 1911
First lieutenantRegular Army3 September 1913
CaptainRegular Army1 July 1916
ColonelNational Army2 November (accepted 6 November) 1918
MajorRegular Army5 August 1917 (temporary)
1 July 1920 (permanent)
Lieutenant colonelRegular Army11 July 1918 (temporary)
1 August 1935 (permanent)
ColonelRegular Army1 February 1940
Brigadier generalArmy of the United States29 September 1941
Major generalArmy of the United States11 March 1942
Lieutenant generalArmy of the United States21 February 1944
Major generalRegular Army1 October (accepted 4 October) 1945
Major generalRegular Army, Retired24 January 1948
Lieutenant generalRegular Army, Retired1 March 1949

Source:[5][6]

See also

References

  1. "Raymond Albert Wheeler". Arlington National Cemetery. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
  2. "Gen. Raymond Wheeler Dead; Led Army Corps of Engineers". The New York Times. 10 February 1974. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  3. http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=100469
  4. "Communique'" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  5. Official Army and Air Force Register, 1948, p. 1940.
  6. Official Army Register, 1950, p. 868.
Military offices
Preceded by
Eugene Reybold
Chief of Engineers
19451949
Succeeded by
Lewis A. Pick
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.