Thomas L. Wernecke

United States of America

 

Thomas L. Wernecke was an aeronautical engineer attached to the Army Materiel Command. Wernecke was serving as deputy director of the UTTAS special study group at the time of his death.  He was permanently attached to the Aircraft Systems Div. at AMC as head of the Systems Support Branch.  He had been a member of AHS since June 16, 1958.

Wernecke began his 21-year career in civil service at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, following graduation from Johns Hopkins University in 1951.  He remained in the rotary wing testing field until his transfer in 1961 to the Iroquois Program Manager's Office at AMC.  In 1967, Wernecke transferred to the Army's R&D Group European Office in Frankfurt, Germany.  He returned in 1970 to the AMC Aircraft Systems Div.

Wernecke received the Meritorious Civilian Service Award in 1967 from Gen. Frank Besson for his work on the Iroquois development.  He was an enthusiastic member of AHS and addressed several Chapters on his favorite subject, European V/STOL development.

Mr. Wernecke died of a heart attack at Granite City, Ill., on July 23, 1972.

Obituary (pg-20): VERTIFLITE September/October 1972