William Charles Gribble, Jr. – Lieutenant General, United States Army

Courtesy of the United States Army

Lieutenant General William C. Gribble, Jr.
Chief of Engineers (August 1, 1973-June 30, 1976)

Born in Ironwood, Michigan, on May 24, 1917, William Gribble, Jr., graduated from the Military Academy in 1941 and was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers.

During World War II he served on the staff of  the 340th Engineer General Service Regiment as it first built a section of the Alaska Highway in western Canada and later assisted MacArthur’s drive in New Guinea and the Philippines.

At the end of the war he commanded the 118th Engineer Combat Battalion, 43d Infantry Division. Gribble then worked in the Los Alamos laboratory and in the Reactor Development Division of the Atomic Energy Commission. As Alaska District Engineer he oversaw construction of a nuclear power plant at Fort Greely, Alaska.   He headed the Army’s nuclear power program in 1960-61. In 1963 he was the Corps’ North Central Division Engineer.

Gribble’s scientific skills led to his service as Director of Research and Development in the Army Materiel Command in 1964-66 and as the Army’s Chief of Research and Development in 1971-73. In 1969-70 he commanded the Army Engineer Center and Fort Belvoir and was Commandant of the Army Engineer School.   He became Chief of Engineers in 1973.

Gribble received a master’s degree in physical science from the University of Chicago in 1948 and an honorary doctorate in engineering from Michigan Technological University. He was also an honorary member of the United Kingdom’s Institute of Royal Engineers. His decorations included the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Brazilian Order of Military Merit.

General Gribble died at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, on June 2, 1979 and was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.

GRIBBLE, WILLIAM CHARLES JR

• LTG   US ARMY
• VETERAN SERVICE DATES: 05/24/1940 – 05/31/1976
• DATE OF BIRTH: 05/24/1917
• DATE OF DEATH: 06/02/1979
• DATE OF INTERMENT: 06/06/1979
• BURIED AT: SECTION 48  SITE 1502
• ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

GRIBBLE, JANE W

• DATE OF BIRTH: 01/23/1919
• DATE OF DEATH: 05/25/2001
• DATE OF INTERMENT: 06/01/2001
• BURIED AT: SECTION 48  SITE 1502
• ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
• WIFE OF GRIBBLE, WILLIAM CHARLES JR  LTG  US ARMY

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard