Rear Admiral Wayne E. Meyer, retired in 1985 as the Deputy Commander for Weapons and Combat systems, Naval Sea Systems, Naval Sea Systems Command and Ordnance Officer of the Navy.
Rear Admiral Meyer, a native of Brunswick, Missouri, graduated from the University of Kansas in 1946 as a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He also holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a M.S. in Astronautics and Aeronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.
His career began in 1943 as an apprentice seaman. He was commissioned Ensign, U.S. Naval Reserve, in 1946 and was transferred to Regular Navy in 1948.
After several years at sea, he returned to school in 1951 and attended the Joint Guided Missile School in Fort Bliss, Texas, the Naval Line School in Monterey, California, eventually serving as an instructor at the Special (atomic) Weapons School, Norfolk, Virginia.
He returned to sea as Executive Officer in STRICKLAND (DER-333), followed by service on the Staff, Commander, Destroyer Force, Atlantic. He was then ordered to the TALOS cruiser GALVESTON (CLG-3) and from there to the Secretary of the Navy's Special Task Force for Surface Missile Systems in Washington, D.C. He transferred to the Naval Ordnance Engineering Corps in 1966.
In 1967, he reported as Director of Engineering at the Naval Ship Missile Systems Engineering Station, Port Hueneme, California and three years later to the Naval Ordnance Systems Command, as Manager, AEGIS Weapons System. He was named Project Manager for Surface Missile Systems in 1972 and in July 1974, he was named the first Director of Surface Warfare, Naval Sea Systems Command.
He was selected for Admiral in January 1975. In July 1975, he assumed duties as the founding Project Manager, AEGIS Shipbuilding. In September 1983, he was reassigned as Deputy Commander, Weapons and Combat Systems, Naval Sea Systems Command.
Rear Admiral Meyer presently operates a consultancy with offices in Crystal City, Virginia. He chairs and serves on numerous Panels and Committees chartered by various DOD civil and military officials. He has served on the National Ballistic Missile Defense Advisory Committee for the past seven years, serving as its Chairman for the past three years. He also gives numerous speeches besides reviewing and editing articles, essays and books.
He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Meyer (deceased) of Brunswick, Missouri.
He lives in Falls Church, Virginia with his wife, the former Anna Mae Seixas.
His late wife was the former Margaret Garvey of Dorchester, Massachusetts
and was the Ticonderoga's sponsor. He has three adult children, two step
children and four grandchildren.
Awards and Decorations