related to beach intelligence.^ ^ ^ In recognition of its contribution to the war effort, the 

 BEB staff received a number of commendations. In March 1945, the War Department (now 

 the Department of Defense) paid special recognition to Martin Mason and William 

 Krumbein. Mason received the highest honor that could be bestowed by the War 

 Department on a civilian employee— the Exceptional Civilian Service Award. Krumbein 

 received the Meritorious Civilian Service Award.^^^ 



Gen. Kingman, too, had played a vital role. While it had been the efforts of the BEB staff 

 working together which had provided the technical answers to wartime problems, the entire 

 group's guiding light through those dark years was Gen. Kingman. Moreover, Kingman's 

 wide acquaintance among other military officers in the Washington area enabled him to 

 facilitate the BEB's contributions by opening communication channels with other agencies 

 also engaged in related war work. 



5. Post-War Activities. 



As prospects for an end to the war gradually increased, the BEB began to prepare for a 

 renewed involvement in civil worlvs activities. Essentially, this meant picking up the threads 

 of the program which had barely started just before the outbreak of hostilities and weaving 

 it back together again, this time to meet the needs of a society quite different from its 

 prewar counterpart. 



a. New Legislation. One of the first steps which had to be taken involved certain 

 changes in legislation. Up to this time, the BEB had been largely an advisory-type agency. 

 The initiating 1930 legislation had directed the Board to make studies of areas experiencing 

 beach erosion problems at the request, and with the financial cooperation, of an appropriate 

 local agency. The 1936 legislation had declared it to be the poUcy of the United States to 

 assist in the construction of shore protection and improvement works, but only where 

 Federal interests were involved (Federal interests being interpreted as Federal property or 

 Federal investment). The program that had ensued from these Congressional directives had 

 been somewhat Hmited. Furthermore, the Board's research role had never been specified. 



Thus, Gen. Kingman and Martin Mason worked with others to draft legislation which 

 would give the BEB. the authority to undertake a more effective research program and also 

 permit Federal assistance in financing the construction of shore protection structures. These 

 efforts eventually took the form of House of Representatives BiUs No. 2032 and 2033, 

 introduced in the fall of 1944.^^^ The ASBPA gave its full support to these bills. In July 

 1945, the 79th Congress, 1st session, passed H.R. 2032 and it became Pubhc Law 166, 

 entitled, "An Act Authorizing general shoreline investigations at Federal expense, and to 

 repeal an Act for the improvement and protection of the beaches along the shores of the 

 United States, approved June 26, 1936." This legislation maintained the cooperative studies 

 as part of the work of the BEB but also greatly increased the Board's scope by authorizing it 

 to make "general investigations" of the shorelines of the United States. The Federal 



48 



