Medaris, John B. (John Bruce), 1902-

John Bruce Medaris (b. May 12, 1902, Milford, Ohio-d. 1990), Major General in the U.S. Army, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1918 and served in France during World War I. He was later commissioned as an officer and served with the 29th and 33rd Infantry Regiments in the U.S. and Panama. Although he resigned from the Army in 1927, he returned to active duty in 1939. During World War II, he served with II Corps in Tunisia and Sicily before joining Headquarters, First Army, directing the efforts of 20,000 Ordnance troops. After the War, General Medaris became the first commanding general of the newly-created U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency, and later, commanding general of the U.S. Army Ordnance Missile Command, where he was responsible for all Army Ordnance programs in rocket, guided and ballistic missile, and space fields. One of the nation's leading authorities on the evolving U.S. space program, he retired from the Army in January 1960.

From the description of Medaris, John B. (John Bruce), 1902-1990 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10575317