John Medaris, a U.S. Army general, became the first commander of the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency at Redstone Arsenal in 1955. Before arriving in Huntsville, he built a reputation as an ordnance officer, overseeing weapons testing and development during World War II and the early Cold War. Medaris is twice the recipient of the Army Distinguished Service Medal for his service in World War II and the Vietnam War. At Redstone, he supervised Wernher von Braun and other Operation Paperclip scientists, directing the development of the Redstone and Jupiter missiles- two projects that laid the groundwork for space exploration. Under his command, the Army launched Explorer I in 1958, America’s first satellite and the nation’s response to Sputnik. Medaris retired from the Army in 1960, closing a career that linked Alabama industry and U.S. military research to the beginnings of NASA. He later pursued a second calling as an Episcopalian priest, moving from the front lines of the Cold War into ministry and community service.