Up for auction a RARE! "Polaris missile Control Developer" VADM Thomas Weschler Signed 4X6 Card. This item is
certified authentic by Todd Mueller and comes with their Certificate of
Authenticity.
ES-8064
Weschler was not commissioned at the time of his graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1939 because de did not meet the vision standards. Thus he became a merchant marine officer and served until joining the Naval Reserve in 1941 and being recalled to active duty. He taught briefly at the Naval Academy, then served in the carrier USS Wasp (CV-7) and was on board when she was torpedoed and sunk in September 1942. Later he was in combat operations in the destroyers Sigsbee (DD-502) and Young (DD-580). Weschler took a postgraduate course in ordnance engineering, including study with Dr. Stark Draper at MIT. He was then gunnery officer in the cruiser Macon (CA-132) and on the staff of Commander Cruisers Atlantic Fleet. After duty at the Naval War College, Weschler commanded the destroyer Clarence K. Bronson (DD-668). He was selected as the first personal aide for Admiral Arleigh Burke, who became Chief of Naval Operations in 1955. Weschler's oral history provides fascinating insights into Burke’s personality and working style. Afterward, Weschler was executive officer of the missile cruiser Canberra (CAG-2) and then worked on the development of the Polaris missile guidance and fire-control system.