Through the years WSMR has had some very important visitors that were on post to tour facilities or to do testing. The following is a list of some of those visitors compiled by Jenn Jett, Museum Specialist, at the WSMR Museum.
WSMR VIP visitors through the years
Through the years WSMR has had some very important visitors that were on post to tour facilities or to do testing. The following is a list of some of those visitors compiled by Jenn Jett, Museum Specialist, at the WSMR Museum.
Starting with the 1940s Secretary of the Navy for Defense James V. Forrestal was here to view a V-2 launch on Oct. 24, 1946.
In 1947 Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell was also here to observe a V-2 launch.
Admiral DeWitt C. Ramsey, Chief of Naval Bureau of Aeronautics, was here in 1947, as was Field Marshall Henry M. Wilson, Chief, British Staff in D.C.
In 1948 Gen. Jacob L. Devers was on post to observe V-2 launch number 42.
Secretary of Defense Charles E. Wilson was on post for a missile firing in 1953 and Secretary of the Army Wilbur M. Brucker was on post for a missile test on April 5, 1956.
On March 28, 1957 the following individuals were on post for the Talos Program: Air Force Chief of Staff, Belgium, Franz Burniaux, Defense Chief of Staff, Norway, Bjarne Oen, Army Chief of Staff, France, Henri A. Lorillot, Defense Chief of Staff, Italy, Guiseppe Mancinelli, General Chief of Staff, Turkey, Hakki Tunaboylu, Defense Chief of Staff, Portugal, Julio Botelho Moniz, Army Chief of Staff, Belgium, O. Harteon, Admiral, UK, Michael M. Denny, Army Chief of Staff, Netherlands, Bernard R. Hasselman, and Chief of Staff Chairman, Canada, Charles Foulkes.
On Oct. 2, 1957, Secretary of Defense Neil H. McElroy was on post for a missile testing.
On Jan. 30, 1958, Gen. Bjorn Lindskog was on post with the Royal Swedish Air Force.
On Feb. 13, 1958, Minister of Defense Franz J. Strauss was on post with the German Minister of Defense.
On May 8, 1958 Gen. Gilles le Fevre de Montigny was on post with the Chief of Staff Armed Forces Netherlands.
On July 1, 1958, Gen. Guy S. Meloy Jr. and Army Chief of Staff Maxwell D. Taylor were on post with Operation Ammo.
On Dec. 10, 1959, Secretary of the Army Wilbur M. Brucker was on post to tour Nike-Zeus Facilities.
On June 5, 1963, President John F. Kennedy, President Lyndon B. Johnson, and Secretary of the Army Cyril Vance were on post to observe Missile Testing of Project MEWS.
On April 12, 1976, President Geral Ford was in the area to visit Fort Bliss, Texas and WSMR.
On Jan. 10, 1982, Army Chief of Staff, Italy, Umberto Cappuzzo was on post as the Generale di Corp d’Armata.
On July 14, 1983, Army Chief of Staff, West Germany, Meinhard Glanz, was on post to observe explosives testing.
On Aug. 1, 1984, Gen. Maxwell R. Thurman visited WSMR.
On June 20, 1991, Admiral Jeremiah Denton was on post to observe Distant Image Explosion.
On Sept. 8, 2010, Army Chief of Staff George W. Casey Jr. and General Ann E. Dunwoody were on post for an FFID Exercise.
On June 11, 2011, Gen. Robert W. Cone was on post for M-ATV.
On June 28, 2011, Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli was on post for NIE.
On Nov. 15, 2011, Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli was on post for NIE.
On Nov. 17, 2011, Army Chief of Staff Raymond T. Odierno was on post for M-ATV/Ghost Ship UGV.
On May 9, 2012, Secretary of the Army John McHugh was on post for the NIE 12.2.
On May 16, 2012, Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III was on post for NIE.
On May 20, 2014, Army Chief of Staff Raymond T. Odierno was on post for NIE 14.2.
On May 10, 2016, Secretary of the Army Patrick J. Murphy was on post in support of NIE 16.2.
On March 25, 2018, USAF Gen. John W. Raymond was on post to participate in the Bataan Memorial Death March.
On Nov. 14, 2018, USAF Gen. Paul J. Selva stopped by to visit WSMR and Holloman Air Force Base.
On May 15, 2020, Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy was on post in support of AIAMD.
On Aug. 13, 2020, Gen. John M. Murray and Gen. Joseph M. Martin were on post in support of AIAMD.
Jenn Jett
Museum Specialist