hugh july august major general united_states_army graduate west_point served germany occupation later returned germany attend berlin earning doctor engineering degree engineer prepared report flood control involved design construction chief new deal public works project went philippines advise government flood control early world war involved enormous wartime construction program notable lasting achievement involvement design pentagon largest office building world served general army chief engineer mountains new_guinea philippines occupation japan commanded responsible construction logistics activities forward area hoped chief engineers president passed later worked retirement chairman early life born brooklyn new_york june son heating contractor john grandparents immigrants ireland england grandfather served union american civil war killed parents irish immigrants settled pennsylvania educated graduating age won scholarship entered studied civil engineering year took competitive examination west_point held congressman chairman ranking applicants appointment enter claimed slightly older adopting brother june birthday entered west_point best friend roommate west_point played football duties mathematics decided winning games important playing helped proficient math unlike west_point grateful wrote frequently griffin progress sent football tickets younger brother wanted enter west_point griffin directly appointed class having pass examination martin served coastal artillery years medically discharged november martin later successful lawyer brothers acquired nickname pat west_point world war entry world war class graduated early june ranked class commissioned captain stationed camp virginia instructor starting september company commander 19th division moved iowa november returned student september served occupation forces june improved high school german fluent language write doctoral thesis language married daughter colonel chief surgeon american forces stationed honeymoon traveled south germany austria switzerland couple children sons daughter wars officer charge lawrence kansas substantive rank lieutenant november returned attend company officers course received civil works assignment assistant pittsburgh district took task preparing report flood control criticized engineering planning flood happened happen report shelved flood happen report recommendations adopted assigned responsibility flood control federal agencies responsible construction called lock dam september assigned job involved reviewing project studies plans specifications river harbor projects united_states including flood control hydroelectric power projects responsibility correspondence senators time designed patented floating bit navigation locks promoted substantive rank captain won fellowship study civil engineering germany years attended berlin earning doctorate engineering thesis written german movement streams returning united_states june posted maine chief new deal public works project established concrete testing laboratory mississippi political forces project came allowed die project fell served flood control surveys clay sent philippines advise government flood control worked power companies philippines conducted series surveys including detailed clay returned united_states developed plans horsepower hydroelectric project estimated cost million lieutenant colonel chief staff major general philippines presented project president approved years captain promoted major february world war returned washington october chief brigadier general enormous construction program underway meet needs world war working staff included president set standard designs barracks number new features added improve comfort safety scarce materials discovered standard man barracks small companies new triangular division fitted easily man barracks slightly increasing barracks size substantial savings reducing overall number buildings needed constructed size areas required length required roads utility lines promoted lieutenant colonel april afternoon thursday july summoned gave new special project design enormous office complex house person staff building gave monday morning design building envisaged modern story structure elevators site old washington airport ultimately pentagon largest office building world busy weekend staff design story sided structure floor area square feet twice estimated cost million president roosevelt subsequently moved site building objections away arlington national cemetery september general requested services chief engineer arrived manila october shortly outbreak war united_states japan acquired construction equipment project supervised troops retreated awarded unlike rest headquarters promoted colonel december brigadier general january relocate remained small staff officers joined sixteen members staff escape boat march service campaign philippines awarded australia chief engineer general headquarters faced enormous engineering challenges new_guinea consisted mountains jungle ports roads developed support operations provide additional expertise construction assigned staff chief rank colonel engineers worked closely australian_army counterpart general sir headquarters construction activities australia undertaken civilians attempted coordinate activities agencies fend attempts gain control aviation engineer battalions royal_australian_air_force organized construction squadrons difficulty able control activities initial need engineer units accomplish construction program soon stocks engineer supplies equipment began run low exacerbated incoming units arriving equipment numerous ships arrived ports theater ports thousands miles apart critical shortages developed concrete equipment absence proper stock control system overall coordinating agency adequate numbers engineer depot units allocation distribution supplies hand difficult tasks worst problem spare parts equipment operated clock harsh conditions soon wore broke large proportion equipment lack spare parts sent united_states took months arrive limited sources supply australia september decided japanese troops sending american regimental combat team alternate means crossing mountains possible trail known climb elevations feet present formidable obstacles took charge investigating trail reached september explored harbor taking depth native canoe set party american australians australian new guinea administrative unit native police native carriers days trail scaling heights feet concluded practical troops traverse route turned concluded harbor shallow trip total loss sighted plateau north suitable allowing troops flown awarded new_guinea logistics construction activities coordinated task force engineer hastily assembled able meet demands imposed base development challenging theater operations scale operations philippines greater purpose formed brisbane july appointed command absence chief engineer operated control moving far forward combat operations allowed developed new bases operated ready point units simply reverted allowing seamless transfer command battle men engineers members staff came ashore day advance headquarters arrived days later work began immediately airfield commenced airfields central soon captured heavy seasonal rains thwarted attempts develop central decided abandon development construct new coast site occupied headquarters need aircraft based stop japanese reinforcing island pressing lieutenant general agreed headquarters intended come ashore day landing january delayed day destroyer traveling escort crippled transport despite enormous difficulties able finish numerous projects time ahead schedule february transferred redesignated resumed old post renamed chief engineer services commander awarded legion merit subsequently awarded bronze oak leaf cluster distinguished service medal services chief engineer hoped chief engineers lieutenant general retired president passed favor instead remained japan chief engineer retirement december edited engineers southwest pacific seven volume series wartime service received number foreign awards service including philippines commander order british empire australia commander netherlands france later life chairman served positions retirement member number professional societies civic organizations died heart attack august vermont survived wife son keith son hugh killed air crash korean war father son buried adjacent arlington national cemetery daughter married major general son clay died january buried arlington national cemetery august new building dedicated honor chief engineers lieutenant general
Hugh John Casey