on was a 9,000-mile survey of Indus basin water resources. He commanded the United Nations Suez Canal Clearance Operations following the 1956 Suez Crisis. Awards and honors Military Wheeler's military awards included the Silver Star, the Air Medal, an Army Distinguished Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Legion of Merit. He fought in France during World War I, for which he was awarded the Silver Star and a Distinguished Service Medal. Government In 1945 Wheeler received the honorary title Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE, Military Division). 1947, he was honored as Knight Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) for his construction of the Ledo Road. Professional societies For his work in clearing the Suez Canal, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers awarded Wheeler the Hoover Medal in 1958. The award's citation described Wheeler as a man who:typifies all that is best in leadership, training, experienced judgment, character and warm friendship in both the military engineer and the civilian engineer. His accomplishments throughout his life are outstanding, have brought great credit to his chosen profession, and mark him an eminent engineer of national and international recognition. His significant contributions include the monumental task of clearing the Suez Canal.He was made a member of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (I.E.E.E.), vice president of the Society of American Military Engineers for 1949, and a member of the board of review of the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority. He was also a member of the chairman advisory board of the Mekong River Survey Mission in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, from 1960-1969, and an honorary member of American International Assurance. Death Wheeler died on 9 February 1974 at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Dates of rank Source: See also China Burma India Theater of World War II Major General Albert Wedemeyer, Lieutenant General Daniel Sultan References External links Generals of World War II 1885 births 1974 deaths United States Army War College alumni Military personnel from Illinois United States Army Corps of Engineers personnel United States Army generals United States Military Academy alumni Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Recipients of the Silver Star Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US