Edgar Jadwin

Edgar Jadwin
Major General Edgar Jadwin, Chief of Engineers 1926–1929
Born	August 7, 1865 (1865-08-07) Honesdale, Pennsylvania
Died	March 2, 1931 (1931-03-03) (aged 65) Panama Canal Zone
Place of burial	Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1890–29
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands held	15th Engineers Chief of Engineers
Wars	Spanish–American War World War I
Awards	Distinguished Service Medal

Edgar Jadwin, C.E. (August 7, 1865 – March 2, 1931) was a U.S. Army officer who fought in the Spanish–American War and World War I, before serving as Chief of Engineers from 1926 to 1929.

Early life

Jadwin was born in Honesdale, Pennsylvania and graduated first in the United States Military Academy class of 1890. He was commissioned in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Military career

Jadwin served with engineer troops in 1891–1895 and was lieutenant colonel of the 3d U.S. Volunteer Engineers in the Spanish–American War.

After serving as district engineer at the expanding ports of Los Angeles and Galveston, he was selected by General Goethals as an assistant in the construction of the Panama Canal, on which he worked from 1907 to 1911. Jadwin served in 1911-1916 in the Office of the Chief of Engineers focusing on bridge and road matters. Upon the United States' entry into World War I in 1917, he recruited the 15th Engineers, a railway construction regiment, and led it to France. He directed American construction and forestry work there for a year and received the Distinguished Service Medal.

At the conclusion of the war, President Woodrow Wilson appointed Jadwin to investigate conditions in Poland in 1919. From 1922 to 1924, Jadwin headed the Corps' Charleston District and Southeast Division. He then served two years as Assistant Chief of Engineers. As Chief of Engineers he sponsored the plan for Mississippi River flood control that was adopted by the United States Congress in May 1928. Jadwin retired as a lieutenant general on August 7, 1929.

He died in Gorgas Hospital in the Panama Canal Zone on March 2, 1931, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.

Dredge Jadwin

The Vicksburg, Mississippi district of the Army Corps Of Engineers operates a large inland river dredge named after Edgar Jadwin. The dredge Jadwin is used to keep a federally mandated channel depth of no less than 9 feet and width of 300 feet. The Jadwin mainly operates on the Lower Mississippi River between the areas above Vicksburg, Mississippi to the ship channels of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and New Orleans, Louisiana. The dredge is one of 3 Corps owned dredges classified as a "dustpan" dredge, due to the shape of the suction/cutting head which resembles a dustpan.

References

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Military offices
Preceded by Harry Taylor	Chief of Engineers 1926–1929	Succeeded by Lytle Brown