In 1929 , Groves departed for Nicaragua in charge of a company of the 1st Engineers as part of an expedition whose purpose was to conduct a survey for the Inter-Oceanic Nicaragua Canal . Following the 1931 Nicaragua earthquake , Groves took over responsibility for Managua 's water supply system , for which he was awarded the Nicaraguan Presidential Medal of Merit . Groves was promoted to captain on 20 October 1934 . He attended the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas , in 1935 and 1936 , after which he was posted to Kansas City , Missouri , as assistant to the commander of the Missouri River Division . In 1938 and 1939 he attended the Army War College . On 1 July 1939 , he was posted to the War Department General Staff in Washington , D.C
1931 Nicaragua earthquake
1931 Nicaragua earthquake
Leslie Groves