More detail on this person: Heart attack in
1983 or 84 after 30 year retirement.
From: TAPS 240th website, Mike Law
"The American soldier will use his ingenuity to
make the equipment work. This does not absolve
us if we send him into battle with a piece of
junk."
That has been the philosophy of USAOTC since it
was known as TCATA, and was said by Col.
Edward "Jack" Derr when he was Director of the
Instrumentation Directorate.
In August 1975, he was assigned to Headquarters,
MASSTER, as a test officer, Combat Test Branch,
Combat Directorate. When Headquarters,
MASSTER, reorganized and became TCATA, he
became Chief, Test Division A, Combined Arms
Test Directorate.
Derr left TCATA for an assignment as Commander,
DARCOM Research and Development Field Support
Activity, and returned to TCATA in 1983 to assume
his last position as Director, Instrumentation
Directorate.
Derr is remembered by friends and colleagues of
TCATA as one of the most distinguished officers
who ever worked for TCATA. He was the ultimate
professional soldier who was particularly loyal to
the high standards of the Army.
Soldiers and soldiering were his life.
On April 7, 1984, Derr died at the age of 50. It
was in a tribute article that fellow operational
test people provided the most poignant
recommendation for the induction of Col. Derr into
the Operational Testers' Hall of Fame:
"It was his love for soldiers that motivated him
to work so hard to see that you (soldiers) were
properly equipped. His love motivated him to work
hard to guard against the fielding of defective
equipment, and to fight waste in the procurement
process."
"Many of us only saw Colonel Derr when he was
engaged in the fight for better equipment for
soldiers. It was in this role that he could
meaner than a junk yard dog. Woe to the person
that would send an American soldier to battle with
less than the best."
"He would not allow me, nor anyone else, to
compromise the product, or capability, that the
American soldier was due. A tall order for a
tall, tough man."
Burial information: Altus Cemetery, Altus, OK
This information was last updated 03/27/2018
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Date posted on this site: 03/11/2023
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