WASHINGTON, March 21 (AP) - Col. Lewis A. Pick, the brawny 6-foot army engineer responsible for the speedy construction of the Ledo road in Burma, was chosen for the job because of his reputation for "expediting," a War Department spokesman said today.
  Although born in Rustburg, Va., the 53-year-old colonel calls Omaha his home. He has devoted his life to civil engineering, most of it in the service of the United States Army.

LEWIS A. PICK

Graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1914, he applied for admission to the officers' engineering training school when the United States entered the war in 1917. In France he was captain of Company E of the 23d engineers and after the war was sent to the Philippines to organize the 14th engineers.
  Pick served as district engineer of the New Orleans river and harbor district, later becoming executive officer for the division engineer, Ohio River division at Cincinnati. In March, 1942, he was transferred to Omaha as district engineer, and later became division engineer for the Missouri River division.
  As division engineer he was responsible for the largest building program ever undertaken in the Middle West, and went directly from this project to the Far East.
  Colonel Pick was ordered from Omaha to the new assignment in Burma last September, following service of a year and a half as division engineer stationed at Omaha. Division offices were moved from Kansas City to Omaha in April, 1942.
  He was responsible for a Missouri River development program endorsed by army engineers in Washington, and before Congress now. He directed the fight against the floods in this area last spring.
  Colonel Pick is well known in the Kansas City and Missouri Valley area. He was in charge of all military construction in this district while division chief. He was nominated March 3rd by President Roosevelt for promotion to the rank of brigadier general.