The Wilmington morning star., 1945-09-08
1t. Gen. Wheeler; Truman
Choice As Engineer Head

President Truman has nominal
ed 1t. Gen. Raymond A. Wheeler,
former Wilmington district Army
engineer, for the position of Chief
OF Army Engineers, and it is ex-
pected that the nomination will
be confirmed by the United States
Senate within the next few days.
The nomination was presented
Wednesday by the President, and
if approved, the general will sue
coed 1t. Gen. Eugene Raybold at
the completion Of his term, Sep
TENDER 30.
A spokesman for Representative
]. Payard Clark, in Washington
disclosed yesterday that it has
been reported that Gen. Clark is
planning to retire from the Army.
General Wheeler is now com.
manding general of U. S. forces
in India and Burma.
After his term of office as Dis
trict Engineer in Wilmington from
October of 1890 until September,
1893, General Wheeler was trans
ferred to Rock Island, ILL.,, and
later in 1887, upon his graduation
from the Army War College he be-
came a resident member of the
Board of Engineers in ashington
Goes Overseas
In September, 1941, he was pro.
NOTED to brigadier general and as
signed to the office of the Chief
Of Staff in Washington. He became
acting Assistant Chief of Staff, Sup
ply Division, GA, on the General
Staff. Late in 1871, he was assign
ed to the Army Group, in Washing
ton, and went overseas with a mill
tary mission charged with develop
ing supply line to Russia through
the Persian Gulf. He was sub
sequently promoted to major Aen-
eral and assigned as Commanding
General, SOS, in the CHI Theatre.
A veteran Of more than three
years service in the Far east during
the war, Gen. Wheeler later COM
manded the India-Burma Theatre
and was Deputy Commander and
Principal Administrator Officer of
the Southeast Asia Command. Dur
ing the formative days of the Obi
Theatre, from early 1912 until No
vember of 1913, General Wheeler
commanded the Services of supply
lin this theatre.
A native of Peoria, H., Gen.
Wheeler was graduated from West
Point in 1911 with a commission in
the Corps of Engineers. AS regi-
mental commander of the 4th Engi-
neers in France during World War.
l with the temporary rank of colo
mex Wheeler was awarded his first
lDsM for his work in the Aisne-
Marine. aSt. Mihel and ..Meuse-Ar-
eonne offensives.- In World War II
he was three times awarded the
DIST nguished Service Medal.
After the last war, he was an
Instructor at Fort Behring'S In
faIntry School from April. 1920 until
July, 1922. Then came four-year
tour IS Assistant Engineer Commits
sioner Of the District Of Columbia,
followed by attendance at the Com.
mand and General Staff School. In
June. 1927, as major, Wheeler
hecan1e assistant engineer of main
tenance for the Panama Canal.
General ,Reybold, also has been
chief Of Army Engineers for ap-
proximately four years, was Dis
trict Engineer in this area from Sep
TENDER, 1888 to May, 1885.
While. here he was very much
interested in the Improvement of
rivers and harbors in eastern North
Carolina. The dredging of the in
land waterway from the Cape Fear
river to Winyah Bay. S. c., was
carried on during his stay, to pro-
vide IL foot waterway. The con-
strrction of the third lock and dam
on the upper Cape Fear River at
Tolar's Landing and the raising and
repairing of Lock and Dam No. l |
at Kings Bluff was completed. In