| Leif J. Sverdrup |
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YOUTH, EDUCATION Leif Sverdrup was born in Norway and immigrated with his family to Minnesota at the age of 17. He served in the U.S. Army as a private in World War I . After the war, he earned a degree in Civil Engineering from the University Of Minnesota . SVERDRUP & PARCEL In 1928, he joined with his college engineering professor John I. Parcel in the formation of Sverdrup & Parcel , a civil engineering firm with a specialty field of Bridge s. Many of the company's projects were located in the St. Louis, Missouri area near the company's headquarters. Some well known projects of Sverdrup and Parcel include:
WORLD WAR II AND POST-WAR During World War II , Leif Sverdrup returned to military service, and initially served as a colonel in the U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers . Promoted to Major General, in 1945 he was put in charge of the Engineering Construction Command for the Pacific Theater of War as chief engineer to General Douglas MacArthur . He received the Distinguished Service Cross and was described by MacArthur as "the engineer soldier at his best." Also in 1945, General MacArthur presented Sverdrup with his personal Gold Castles insignia, which MacArhur had worn for over 40 years (since his graduation from the U.S. Military Academy (West Point). In 1947, the 102d Infantry Division of the U.S. Army Reserve was activated as part of the Organized Reserve, with General Sverdrup in command. On January 31, 1958, General Sverdrup retired. On May 2 , 1975 , long-retired General Sverdrup attended the Engineer Dinner at Fort Belvoir , Virginia which marked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' 200th anniversary. At that time, he presented Chief of Engineers General William C. Gribble Jr. with the Gold Castles insignia, which he had saved for 30 years. Later the same night, a new Corps tradition began. (''See also article Gold Castles '') DEATH, LEGACY Leif J. Sverdrup died in 1976. After full military honors, he was interred in Valhalla Cemetery located in Hanley Hills, Missouri . In 2006, 30 years after his death, many of Sverdrup's accomplishments continue to serve their missions, a silent testimony to his engineering skills. A number of professional organizations also began annual award programs in his honor and memory.
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