Wesley H. Schmidt

SCHMIDT CDR. WESLEY HENRY SCHMIDT, USN, (Ret.) CDR. Wesley Henry Schmidt, USN (Retired) passed away on June 28, 2009 in Alexandria, Virginia. He was residing in the assisted living section of Washington House in Alexandria for the past two years because of circulatory problems in his legs. When he began to experience difficulty in swallowing and breathing, he entered Inova Alexandria Hospital. After suffering pneumonia and a "cardiac event" he no longer had the strength to survive. All five children and their families had given him the love and devotion a patriarch deserves. Eight grandchildren and a great grandson are his proud legacy and he will be greatly missed. CDR. Schmidt was the son of Frances Elinor Kurtz Schmidt and Henry Rudolph Schmidt. He was born in his parents'' home in Baltimore, MD on January 20, 1922 and grew up in Chicago on the near north side by Lake Michigan. He graduated from Lane Technical High School (Class of 1939), and was a crew member of sailing teams participating in events such as the Chicago to Mackinac races. He attended Purdue University, majoring in Engineering and serving as the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps Battalion Sergeant Major until 1942. He was a member of the University Pistol Team and Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. In 1942 he received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy where he continued his Engineering studies, qualified for his Varsity "N" (with star) as a member of the Pistol Team and played Hawaiian guitar in Mandolin Club. He was the Sailing Master of the Highland Light, a 65 ton Cutter Rigged Sloop owned by the Academy. It was on a cruise out of Annapolis aboard the Highland Light, that he met Miss Elisabeth Helene Whitman, of St. Louis, MO and Washington, DC, in August 1944. Following his graduation from USNA in June 1945 with the Class of 1946, (a three year War Class) and Miss Whitman''s graduation from Mount Vernon Junior College, they were married in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 15, 1945. CDR Schmidt joined the USS David W. Taylor (DD 551) in time for the final battles in the Pacific, the liberation of the Philippines and he was one of the initial Americans ashore during the first landing on Kyushu, Japan. During subsequent duty aboard USS Samuel N. Moore (DD-747) and USS Blue (DD-744), he participated in the Occupation of Japan, Coastal Quarantine Patrol of Korea and Japan and operations at sea between Tsingtao, Shanghai and Hong Kong, China and Manila, Philippine Islands. His ship provided support to Allied Operations in Indo-China during the Japanese surrender and withdrawal. In 1948 he was designated a Naval Aviator (Airship) and reported to Airship Squadron ONE (ZP-1) at Weeksville, NC, and subsequently at Lakehurst, NJ. He flew anti-submarine patrols in blimps against Soviet submarines along the Atlantic Coast. A year at the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, CA studying the Communications-Electronics Curriculum brought CDR Schmidt to duty as the Communications Officer, Naval Air Force, Atlantic Fleet. He transitioned to winged aircraft through Heavier-Than-Air Flight Training in Pensacola, FL and Corpus Christi, TX, was designated as Naval Aviator (Heavier than Air) and joined Patrol Squadron 44 (VP-44) at Naval Air Station, Norfolk, VA where his continuation of anti-Soviet submarine patrols in P5M Seaplanes provided plenty of flight time. A tour as Aide and Flag Secretary to Commander Fleet Air Wings Atlantic and Commander Fleet Air Wing Five was followed by The U.S. Air Force War College in Montgomery, AL. In 1962 he was assigned to the Staff of the Chief of Naval Operations in The Pentagon, resulting in his work on the National Military Command Post Afloat (USS Northampton and USS Wright), duty as Project Officer for Tactical Airborne Communications and Monitoring Operations (TACAMO), and Command of the TACAMO Squadron, which involved many flights to Scotland and England. He provided his technical expertise to Polaris Fleet Communications, OMEGA navigation systems, Aegis radar projects and overseeing various installations such as remote Machias, ME. He was also the Navy Representative on the Joint Chiefs of Staff Command & Control Requirements Committee. CDR Schmidt subsequently served on the Staff on the Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet, Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic and, as Chief of Joint Communications War Plans. After another tour of duty in the Pentagon and then in Norfolk, VA, he retired in March 1970 from the Staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, as Chief, Surface Ship Radar. In retirement, he worked for International Telephone and Telegraph, RCA and Wheeler Industries, Washington. DC. as a Systems Integration Engineer, on the FFG-7 development program. CDR Schmidt enjoyed an active community life involving Boy Scouts, the Episcopal Church, Children of the American Revolution (President of the George Washington Chapter), USNA Class of ''46 events and the Army Navy Country Club where he had the proud achievement of being Swimming Committee Chairman when the Olympic size pool was built. He sold a lot of coffee and hot dogs for the Alexandria Crew Boosters and took on many responsibilities at St. Stephen''s, St. Agnes and Christchurch Schools. He was preceded in death by his son, Geoffrey Adrian Lange Schmidt. He is survived by his wife Elisabeth Helene Whitman Schmidt, Sons: Commander Wesley Henry Schmidt, Jr. USN (Retired) (Catherine), Colonel Austin B. C. Schmidt, USA (Retired) (Kim), Colonel Rodney H.C. Schmidt, USA (Retired) (Lois), Mr. Peter H. V. Schmidt (Alta), one daughter: Mrs. F. Mitchell Alexander (Elisabeth Garland Schmidt), the wife of Commander Frederick Mitchell Alexander, USN (Retired). Further, he leaves four Grandsons, David W. Schmidt (Son of Austin), Wesley H. Schmidt III (Son of Wesley Jr.), Zachary Schmidt (Son of Peter), Mark Mitchell Alexander, Airman, USN (Son of Elisabeth Garland), and four Granddaughters: Leah W. (Schmidt) Glicoes (Daughter of Austin), Rebecca Schmidt (Daughter of Wesley Jr.), Mary E. Schmidt (Daughter of Rodney) and Elisabeth Garland Alexander (Daughter of Elisabeth Garland) and one Great Grandson: Christopher Daniel Glicoes (Son of Leah, Grandson of Austin). CDR Schmidt''s beloved shaggy dog, Daisy, also preceded him to the Rainbow Bridge. CDR Schmidt will be buried next to his son, Geoffrey, at Arlington National Cemetery on November 18, at 1 pm, with services at the Old Post Chapel, Fort Myer, VA. A reception at the Army Navy Country Club will follow.