Major General
Holger N. Toftoy

Major General Holger N. Toftoy was born on October 31, 1902 and graduated from West Point in 1926.

He was directly associated with the Ordnance Guided Missile Program from its inception. He was responsible during World War II for bringing V-2 rocket parts and German missile scientists to the United States to participate in the U.S. Rocket Program.

As chief of the Rocket Branch, R&D Division, Office of the Chief of Ordnance, from 1945 through 1952, General Toftoy was responsible for the direction of the Army Guided Missile Research and Development Program. This included the development of the Nike, Corporal, Honest John, Super Bazooka, and other missiles.

General Toftoy established White Sands Proving Ground as the principal Army missile test range and provided the necessary administrative and technical facilities for its operation. He also established Redstone Arsenal in the role of the Ordnance Corps Commodity Arsenal for Rockets and Guided Missiles.

He then moved to Redstone to serve as Director of the Ordnance Missile Laboratories. His team at Redstone Arsenal was responsible for the Jupiter-C rocket, which lofted the first free-world satellite, Explorer I.

General Toftoy retired on March 1, 1960 and died at Walter Reed Army Hospital on April 19, 1967.