Major General
George E. Turnmeyer
Maj. Gen. George
E. Turnmeyer was born in Dubuque, Iowa in 1925.
From 1967 until 1970, he was Logistics Officer for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As the primary logisticians charged with detailed planning during this period, it was his task to see to it that American forces had the equipment and supplies to carry out their mission. He made major contributions to the war effort, and to withdrawal planning for U.S. Forces from Southeast Asia.
He saw to the deployment of three Korean divisions and one Thai division in Vietnam, and organized a worldwide logistics conference which resulted in an unprecedented exchange of information on vital issues and programs.
As Deputy Commander and later Commander, Army Materiel Command, Europe, from 1970 until 1973, Gen. Turnmeyer commanded some 21,000 personnel and was responsible for all Army logistical support except medical. He completely reorganized the supply, maintenance, and transportation elements of the Theater Logistics System.
He was designated Project Manager for the Lance missile system, and was instrumental in bringing this complex project on line, on schedule. He also played a major role in the development of a non-nuclear warhead and fuze system for the Lance. The remarkable string of successful test firings (23 successful out of 23 tries) provided the basis for the ultimate standardization of this weapons system. From 1974 until 1977, General Turnmeyer was first Deputy Commander and then Commander of the U.S. Army Missile Command and Redstone Arsenal. He retired in 1977 and presently lives in Huntsville, Alabama.