Robert John Fleming (Governor)
Robert John Fleming, Jr. (born January 13, 1913 in Fort Robinson , Nebraska , † July 14, 1984 ) was an American engineer , officer in the US Army Corps of Engineers and from 1962 to 1967 the last governor of the Panama Canal Zone .
Life
Fleming joined the US Army after school and became an officer in 1928 after graduating from the US Military Academy at West Point . He later studied at the US Army Engineer School , graduated in 1935 and then served in the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). After the United States entered World War II , he took part in the Pacific War.
After the war, he was initially responsible for the overall supervision of construction programs of the US Army in occupied territories, and then from 1947 to 1950 only head of Ingenieurorganisations- and training department and then deputy chief engineer for military operations in the office of the chief engineer of the USACE in Washington, DC Following he completed a one-year course at the National War College there and between 1951 and 1954 was employed as an engineer with the US Army field forces at Fort Monroe . 1954 he was appointed district engineer of the USACE-district in Philadelphia , a part of the district North Atlantic (North Atlantic Division), before he was from 1955 to April 1957 the district engineer of this district. Between 1957 and 1960 he was employed in France .
In 1962, Fleming was appointed governor of the Panama Canal Zone by US President John F. Kennedy to succeed William Arnold Carter , and he held that position for five years until 1967.
In this function, the Thatcher Ferry Brigdge was inaugurated on October 12, 1962, and the Panama Canal Spillway , the first daily newspaper in the canal zone, was published on June 20, 1962 . He also initiated studies in 1964 that looked at expanding the canal's capacities.
On the other hand, Fleming was also confronted with one of the most sensitive aspects of relations between Panama and the USA: the riots of January 9, 1964 . On this day Panamanian students tried the Panamanian flag at the High School of Balboa to hoist emerged resulting unrest with 24 dead.
He has received several awards for his services, including the Legion of Merit , the Bronze Star and the Army Commendation Medal . In addition, he was an officer of the Legion of Honor and honored with the Czechoslovak Order of the White Lion and the Grand Cross of the Panamanian Order Nuñez de Balboa.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Fleming, Robert John |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Fleming, Robert John Jr. (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American Army Officer and Governor of the Panama Canal Zone |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 13, 1913 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Fort Robinson , Nebraska |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 14, 1984 |