Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-02-02

as q corporal and was discharged
in 1919. Ha went to Ohio State
University. mSjored in mechanical
engineering and got married.
As q senior ROTC cadet, he
competed in special examinations
for q regular Army commission
and won. From that point on he
served at assorted United States
Army posts and moved on to a
tour Of duty in Panama.
To exc out q first lieutenant's
pay in his Panama days, Gen.
Medaris also served as a dog track
judge.
Into the Business World
While still there he began to
find Army infantry life dull and
transferred to the Ordnance Corps.
Money problems, however. began
to build up and in 1927 he resigned
from the service to take a man.
agement job for a General Motors
franchise operator in Colombia.
He worked in Colombia for Is
months where he made so much
money his boss declined to renew
the contract on the same basis
and asked him to take a cut. He
declined and sailed for New York.
For the next 10 years he worked
in the management consultant
field, earning his pilots license
meanwhile. He still flies his own
plane.
While back in the United States,
Gen. Medaris was divorced. He
and his first wife had one child,
now Mrs E. L. Shilling Of Gambler,
Ohio.
When the stock market crash
came. Gen. Medaris was of on a
trip. when ! left" he says, st was
worth 100000. When / got back
1 had $685."
He took his $69.50 and bought
a suit, new shoes, new hat and
walked out of the store with so
cents to look for a job.
He successfully worked for a
bakery and as an automobile
dealer-"This was the only Job at
which / ever failed"-and for
chain Of grocery stores.
In 1880 in Cincinnati he met
Virginia Smith, daughter of Gin
cinnati banker r. Cliff Smith,
while kibitzing a bridge game.
They we're married the next year
and have two children, Mrs. Marta
Woody, wife of an Army captain
here, and West Point Cadet John
Bruce Medaris. jr.
Book to the Army
After 10 years in the business
world, Gen. Medaris returned to
active duty as a captain in Ord
nance in 1939-"once you've been
inside. you miss the life, the
friends"
He moved up to lieutenant
colonel in a hurry and by 1912
was in North Africa, where he was
assistant ordnance officer for the
I'd Corps.
He made the Sicily invasion and
then was flown to England where
he became Ordnance planning
officer for the invasion of Nor
mandy. He landed on D-Day plus
one. When the war ended he was
a brigadier general.
On September Is, 1855, Gen.
Medaris, who holds the DiStin-
guished Service Medal, the Legion
of Merit and the French Legion
of Honor, was promoted to major
general and six weeks later as
surhed command of ABMA.
He pitched in to learn about
missiles. He began routine which
he still follows. an hours reading
before breakfast every morning.
He works 10 to IL hours day.
Fought Thor Move
AS ABMA chief, he has fought
a running battle to keep the Army
in the long-range missile field. At
one point there was distinct pos
sibility that the Jupiter program
would be strapped for the Air
Forces Thor.
But on October 4, 1857, Gen.
Medaris' worries over the Army
missile program ended. That was
the day Russia launched Sputnik.
In the two years and four
months he has been missile chief,
Gen. Medaris has had to fly to
Washington about once a week to
consult with consulting commit
tees who then consulted each other
and were supposed to advise the
Secretary Of Defense. He takes
dim view Of their ability to reach
a decision.
Some place." he told the Sen
ators. there has to be one man
who can make decision. who can
give a command and has the re-
sources to carry it out"
Then he said: I'VE must work
at things we think we can do
in is years. The missiles and sat-
elites will come along as a by
product B."
How do you start?
Give me-" said Gen. Medaris.
clearly defined detectives, ade-
quate manpower and funds for
one year ahead-and then let me
alone"