With the war winding down in 1971 , President Nixon appointed him president of the Mississippi River Commission . Noble directed Army Engineering corp activities during the great Mississippi flood of 1973 of the Mississippi River which was one of the century 's greatest floods . Confronted with a potential disaster due to the collapse of the Old River Control Structure Noble took decisive action . Noble ordered the opening of all 350 panels of the Bonnet Carré Spillway Dam which diverted a portion of the Mississippi through a 5.7 trough of low land to the Gulf of Mexico resulting in an easing of the pressure on levees and the protection of New Orleans . Noble retired from active duty in August 1974 obtaining the rank of Major General . < ! -- Deleted image removed : After retirement , Noble joined the Charles T Main Engineering Company in Boston , where he managed engineering projects across the globe . Noble died on Aug. 16 , 2003 and was interned in Arlington Cemetery . Noble was listed in " Engineers of Distinction " , " Who 's Who in Engineering , " " Who 's Who in America , " and for his military service won three Distinguished Service Medals with two oak leaf clusters , three awards of the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters , and bronze star . He fathered five children , four of whom survive including Jeanne Davey ( b. June 1943 ) , Barbara ( Lynn ) Noble ( b.July 1947 ) , Carol Noble ( b.Jan 1950 ) , and Steve Noble ( b. Sept 1952 )
Mississippi flood of 1973
Mississippi flood of 1973
Charles C. Noble