Evening star., 1945-09-08
Gen. Gordon R. Younq
Approved by Truman
|AsD.C. Commissioner

From Yesterdays Last Edition.
Appointment of Brig. Gen.
Gordon Russell Young to be-
come the Engineer Commits
sioner for the District has been
approved by President Truman,
and orders have been issued re-
calling him from the Pacific to
his new post, the War Depart
ment announced today.
Brig. Gen. Charles w. Kutz, pres
ent Engineer Commissioner, will re-
vert to his retired status, it was
disclosed, as soon as Gen. Young
can report for duty. Gen. Kutz is
IA years old. He was recalled from
retirement in March, 194l, for emer-
gency duty.
The recommendation for Gen.
Young's appointment was made by
Secretary of War Stimson several
days ago, and approval was given
by President Truman yesterday.
Gen. Young, born 54 years ago in
Philadelphia, has served frequently
in the Washington area. His first
service was with a battalion of en-
gineers at the old Washington Bar
racks, to which he was assigned i'm
mediately after his graduation from
West Point in 1918.
In September, 1914, he was de-
tailed to the Engineer School, at
that time also in Washington, and
Immediately after his graduation in
1916 he joined the punitive expedi-
ton into Mexico.
He went to France with the I'd
Engineers in october, 1917, and
served as assistant to the chief en-
gineer of divisional areas, Amer
ican Expeditionary Forces.
After year of service with the
General Staff of Gen. Pershing's
headquarters at Chaumont, he was
returned to the United States for
duty in Washington and at Camp
Holabird, Md, in charge of the En-
gineering Branch of the Motor
Transport Corps.
He returned to the District in
1922 as resident member of the
Board of Engineers for Rivers and
Harbors for four years. In 1890 he
was placed on duty with the District
National Guard for two months
after which he became District En-
gineer at Norfolk, Va.
j In August, 1884, he was assigned
to the Army War College in Wash
1ngton and upon graduation the
next year became commander of the
18TH Engineer Battalion at Port
Angeles, Wash. After that he was
transferred to Fort Belvoir as ar
instructor in the Engineer School
and in october, 1899, was assigned
to command the 1lth Engineer Reg
lment in the Panama Canal Zone.
He was returned to the United
States in 1914 to become com
mandant of the Engineer School al
Fort Belvoir and in June, 1945, he
became commanding general of the
post. He left for an overseas assign
ment in the Pacific August 6.
Gen. KutZ, who had served two
terms as Engineer Commissioner
19l4-l9l7, l918-192l, was called
back to active duty in March OF
194l. He served two months in the
Office of the chief of engineers be-
fore taking over for a third time
the job of Engineer Commissioner
of the District.
Gen. Kutz said that although he
was born in Pennsylvania and spent
l9 years there. he had lived 26 years
in washington and considers it his
home.
The Engineer Commissioner said
he had enjoyed his assignment to
the District government more than
any other work he has had in the
Corps of Engineers. He served as
a consulting engineer to private in
dustry from the time of his retire
ment in 1929 to his recall to duty
He said he feels he is certainly en-
| titled to a rest. His son-in-law
Brig. Gen. Lewis T. Ross, is now
at Fort Belvoir, Va. His son. Col.
Charles r. Kutz, is On Gen. Dwight
/ D. Eisenhower's staff.