Lewis A. Pick
Encyclopedia
Lewis Andrew Pick was born in Brookneal, Virginia
, and graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1914. He received his Regular Army commission in the United States Army Corps of Engineers
on July 1, 1920.
he served with the 23rd Engineers in the French Third Republic
. He served in the Philippines
from 1921 until 1923 and helped organize an engineer regiment composed of Filipino soldiers. He was the Corps of Engineers
' District Engineer in New Orleans during the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
, and he helped coordinate federal relief efforts. Pick was named Missouri River
Division Engineer in 1942, and with William Glenn Sloan
of the Bureau of Reclamation he co-wrote the Pick-Sloan Plan for controlling the water resources of the Missouri River Basin.
Colonel Pick was assigned to the China Burma India Theater of World War II
in October 1943, replacing Brigadier General
John C. Arrowsmith
as Chief Road Engineer. He oversaw construction of the Ledo Road
in British Raj
India
and Burma. His driving force enabled the difficult task to be completed in two and a half years. His men nicknamed the road "Pick's Pike".
After his return to the United States
in 1945, he served again as Missouri River Division Engineer. On March 1, 1949, President of the United States
Harry S. Truman
appointed him Chief of Engineers
. Pick was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal
with Oak Leaf Cluster
. Pick City, North Dakota
located by the Garrison Dam
on the Missouri River was founded in 1946 and named for him. Pickstown, South Dakota
located by the Fort Randall Dam
was also named for him. He died in Washington, D.C.
Brookneal, Virginia
Brookneal is an incorporated town in Campbell County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,259 as of the 2000 census. It is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, and graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1914. He received his Regular Army commission in the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
on July 1, 1920.
Military career
During World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he served with the 23rd Engineers in the French Third Republic
French Third Republic
The French Third Republic was the republican government of France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed due to the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, to 1940, when France was overrun by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the German and Italian occupations of France...
. He served in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
from 1921 until 1923 and helped organize an engineer regiment composed of Filipino soldiers. He was the Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
' District Engineer in New Orleans during the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was the most destructive river flood in the history of the United States.-Events:The flood began when heavy rains pounded the central basin of the Mississippi in the summer of 1926. By September, the Mississippi's tributaries in Kansas and Iowa were swollen to...
, and he helped coordinate federal relief efforts. Pick was named Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
Division Engineer in 1942, and with William Glenn Sloan
William Glenn Sloan
William Glenn Sloan was an inventor and scientist who was co-author of Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program to dam the upper Missouri River....
of the Bureau of Reclamation he co-wrote the Pick-Sloan Plan for controlling the water resources of the Missouri River Basin.
Colonel Pick was assigned to the China Burma India Theater of World War II
China Burma India Theater of World War II
China Burma India Theater was the name used by the United States Army for its forces operating in conjunction with British and Chinese Allied air and land forces in China, Burma, and India during World War II...
in October 1943, replacing Brigadier General
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
John C. Arrowsmith
John C. Arrowsmith
John Caraway Arrowsmith was a Colonel in the United States Army Corps of Engineers, commanding the 45th Engineers in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations during World War II....
as Chief Road Engineer. He oversaw construction of the Ledo Road
Ledo Road
The Ledo Road was built during World War II so that the Western Allies could supply the Chinese as an alternative to the Burma Road which had been cut by the Japanese in 1942. It was renamed the Stilwell Road in early 1945 at the suggestion of Chiang Kai-shek...
in British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Burma. His driving force enabled the difficult task to be completed in two and a half years. His men nicknamed the road "Pick's Pike".
After his return to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1945, he served again as Missouri River Division Engineer. On March 1, 1949, President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
appointed him Chief of Engineers
Chief of Engineers
The Chief of Engineers commands the US Army Corps of Engineers. As a staff officer at The Pentagon, the Chief advises the Army on engineering matters and serves as the Army's topographer and the proponent for real estate and other related engineering programs....
. Pick was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (Army)
The Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Army that is presented to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the United States military, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great...
with Oak Leaf Cluster
Oak leaf cluster
An oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the number of subsequent awards of the decoration...
. Pick City, North Dakota
Pick City, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 166 people, 72 households, and 51 families residing in the city. The population density was 951.5 people per square mile . There were 117 housing units at an average density of 670.6 per square mile...
located by the Garrison Dam
Garrison Dam
Garrison Dam is an earth-fill embankment dam on the Missouri River in central North Dakota. At over two miles in length, it is the fifth-largest earthen dam in the world, constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1947-53...
on the Missouri River was founded in 1946 and named for him. Pickstown, South Dakota
Pickstown, South Dakota
Pickstown is a town in Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 201 at the 2010 census. It was named after Lewis A. Pick, director of the Missouri River office of the United States Army Corps of Engineers.-Geography:...
located by the Fort Randall Dam
Fort Randall Dam
The Fort Randall Dam is an earth embankment dam impounding the Missouri River in South Dakota, United States and forming Lake Francis Case. It is one of six Missouri River dams, four being located in South Dakota....
was also named for him. He died in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....