Eugene Reybold (February 13, 1884 – November 21, 1961) was distinguished as the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Chief of Engineers who directed the largest

United States Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wo ...

in the nation's history. Reybold was born in Delaware City, Delaware. He graduated from Delaware College in 1903. Commissioned in the Coast Artillery Corps in 1908, Reybold was assigned to military housing and coast defense construction work. Stationed at Fort Monroe throughout

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he became commandant of the Coast Artillery School in 1919. He then transferred to the Corps of Engineers in 1926 and served as District Engineer in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

;

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, eighth-most populous city in the st ...

; and

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

. In the last assignment he successfully battled record

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

flood crests. He was appointed Southwestern Division Engineer (1937–40) and War Department Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4 (1940–41). Appointed Chief of Engineers shortly before

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...

, General Reybold directed the Corps' tremendous range of activities throughout the war and became the first Army officer ever to attain the rank of

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

while serving in the position of Chief of Engineers. General Reybold retired on January 31, 1946, and died November 21, 1961, in Washington, D.C. He was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster.

References

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text from'' 1884 births 1961 deaths Military personnel from Delaware United States Army Coast Artillery Corps personnel United States Army Corps of Engineers personnel People from Delaware City, Delaware United States Army generals Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) American military engineers United States Army Corps of Engineers Chiefs of Engineers United States Army personnel of World War I United States Army generals of World War II {{US-army-bio-stub