TULSA, Okla. – The commander of the Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recognized the director of the Southwestern Division Dam Safety Production Center for his significant contributions to Army engineering recently.
Tulsa District Commander, Col. Richard A. Pratt, presented the de Fleury Medal to Wade Anderson, who leads one of six dam safety production centers in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As the head of the SWD Dam Safety Production Center, Anderson is the senior technical expert and advisor to the Southwestern Division commander and the four district commanders on dam safety modifications.
“It is a great honor to be recognized for doing something you love, dam engineering, with one of the most prestigious medals for US Army Engineers,” Anderson said. “The accomplishments for which I was recognized are only possible through the efforts of many others in the Southwestern Division Dam Safety Production Center and USACE Dam Safety and Engineering Communities.”
In 2013, Anderson became the first director of the newly-established DSPC. He oversaw organizational recruiting, staffing and mission alignment as a stand-alone regional asset. He oversees an engineering staff with diverse specializations at varying career stages. The DSPC’s success as a newly-established, stand-alone organization can be attributed to Anderson’s leadership and reputation.
“Wade is well-known throughout the dam safety community for his technical expertise and communication skills,” Pratt said. “The dam safety community with the Corps often consults within because of his reputation as a subject matter expert.”
The de Fleury Medal is presented to individuals who render significant service or support to an element of the Engineer Regiment and is named for Francois Louis Tesseidre de Fleury, of St. Hippolyte, France.
Trained as an engineer in the French Army, and a veteran of the Corsican Campaign, in 1777 de Fleury volunteered to serve with the Continental Army during the American Revolution. The Continental Congress appointed de Fleury a captain of engineers, and at the battles of Fort Mifflin and Brandywine, he distinguished himself, quickly earning promotion to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
In 1779 the British conquered two small forts on each bank of the Hudson River and began building a defensive fortification at a peninsula named Stony Point. Stony Point stretched a half-mile into the Hudson River and gave the British control of a strategic position on the waterway. British occupation of the peninsula forced the Continental Army to reroute its communication and supply lines and provided a base of operations from which the British could launch an attack on West Point, less than 15 miles upriver.
On July 15, 1779, the Continental Army attempted a surprise attack on a British Defensive positions at Stony Point, New York. The mission was launched under cover of darkness and soldiers turned in their ammunition to minimize noise that might alert the British to the surprise attack. De Fleury led a bayonet charge up a steep slope to the enemy’s defensive position, jumped the wall and ran to the flag pole where he quickly cut down the Union Jack, wresting control of the vital strategic position from the Royal Army.
For his actions, the Continental Congress praised his valor and ordered a medal be struck in his honor. The de Fleury Medal was the first Congressional Medal struck.
The Engineer Regiment presents four levels of de Fleury Medals. The highest level, gold de Fleury Medal, is presented to an individual whose contributions to the Army Engineer Regiment exemplify boldness, courage and commitment to a strong national defense.
The silver de Fleury Medal is presented to an individual who has rendered outstanding and significant support or service to the Engineer Regiment.
The bronze de Fleury Medal is presented to an individual who has rendered significant service or support to an element of the Engineer Regiment.
The steel de Fleury is presented to an individual whose selfless service assures mobility, enhances protection, enables expeditionary logistics, and builds capacity to support the success of missions and operations in an era of persistent conflict.