VADM Edward C. Waller

Vice Admiral Edward C. Waller
United States Navy (Retired)

Vice Admiral Waller entered the U.S. Naval Academy from Coronado, Calif., graduating in June of 1949. He reported for flight training, receiving his “Wings of Gold” in March 1951. He was then assigned to Patrol Squadron 50 and made two deployments in support of the Korean War. 

Vice Admiral Waller then entered the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in June 1954 and received a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering. He then served a tour with VX-1 in Key West, Fla., followed by attendance at the U.S. Naval War College, Newport, R.I.  He rejoined the VP community with a tour in VP-48 in San Diego, Calif. In 1962, he as selected to attend Test Pilot School at the Naval Air Test Center in Patuxent River, Md., receiving the Navy League Award as Outstanding Student in his class. He remained at the Test Center as Program Officer of Project A-NEW, the Air ASW System Project, which led to the development of the P-3C and S-3A. From 1965 to 1967, he served as Executive Officer and Commanding Officer of VP-44 at Patuxent River.

Vice Admiral Waller was then assigned to Naval Air Systems Command Headquarters in Washington, D.C. as Project Manager for the P-3 Weapons System, having primary responsibility for the development of the P-3C. In September of 1970, after graduating with distinction from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, he assumed command of the Amphibious Cargo Ship USS Charleston (LKA 113) and was assigned to carry the first Seabees and construction materials to the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, circumnavigating the globe on the return to Norfolk, Va.

Vice Admiral Waller was selected for Flag Rank in 1971 and ordered to NAS Moffett Field, Calif. as Commander Fleet Air Wings, Pacific. In December 1972 he returned to Washington to assume command of the ASW Systems Project Office in the Naval Material Command, with additional duty as head of the ASW Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

Vice Admiral Waller assumed command of the United States Third Fleet at Pearl Harbor in October 1979 and in 1981, he was named the 50^th Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy.  He retired from the Navy on September 1^st, 1983. His awards include two Distinguished Service Medals and four awards of the Legion of Merit.

Vice Admiral Waller joined the Lockheed-California Company in 1984 and was named Vice President and General Manager Government Systems, followed by appointment as Vice President, ASW Systems. Following retirement from Lockheed in 1991he consulted in the Washington area. 

He is married to the former Margaret Clifford Gelly of Brentwood, Calif. They have 4 children, a son who is a Naval Aviator, and 3 daughters. They reside in St. Michaels, Md.