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EMERY SCOTT WETZEL, JR., was born in Coronado, CA, near San Diego. His parents, 2LT Emery ’29 and Catharine Wetzel, were stationed at Rockwell Field on North Island, now Naval Air Station North Island, where his father flew bombers. Shortly thereafter, Scott made the first of many moves, heading to March Field, CA, where his father was the adjutant of the base commander, then LTC Hap Arnold. The next few years took the family to Hamilton Field near San Francisco, Luke Field in Hawaii, Mitchell Field on Long Island, and Pittsburgh, PA. Prior to WWII, the family was stationed at College Park, MD, and Washington, DC. After the war, the family moved to Tokyo, Japan.
Scott was now a teenager and rapidly came into his own. At the Toyko American School, Scott was an outstanding basketball player. In his sophomore year, he was voted Most Athletic, Most Versatile, Best Sense of Humor, and Laziest. As a junior, he was class president, student council treasurer, teen club vice president, and on the athletic committee. He also played football and baseball. In 1948, the family moved to Colorado Spring, CO. Scott went out for football, but suffered a knee injury. After necessary surgery, Scott’s knee was not repaired well enough to continue his athletic career. He graduated from Colorado Springs High School and attended Sullivan’s Prep School in Washington, DC. Scott entered West Point in 1950. He battled with both the Academic and Tactical departments, but his sense of humor got him through the tough times. Scott was best known at the Academy for his help in stealing the Navy goat.
After graduation in 1954, he chose Air Force and started primary pilot school at Hondo AFB, TX, before going to Greenville AFB, MS, for basic training. After getting his wings, Scott remained at Greenville as an instructor pilot in the T-33. Next, Scott was selected to be an air training officer for the first class of the Air Force Academy. In effect, he and other officers were acting as upperclassmen to the new Air Force plebes. He was stationed at Lowry AFB, CO, while the USAFA was being built.
A tour flying the RF-101 at Shaw AFB, SC, was followed by a tour flying the RF-101 in France. Next came a flying safety job at Williams AFB, AZ. There he married Pat Suzdaleff, thereby making the best decision of his life. Air Command and Staff School and F-4 School were next. Scott completed his Southwest Asia tour in the F-4 out of Ubon, Thailand. He flew 217 combat missions over Viet Nam with the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, sixteen Air Medals, and the Air Force Commendation Medal.
Scott served on the inspector general team at USAF Europe, followed by a tour as the squadron commander of RF-4Cs at Alconbury, England. Scott then had a tour in the Pentagon with the Joint Staff and went back to Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, Europe, as Director of Recon. In 1977, he went back to Alconbury as the vice wing commander of the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. In 1978, he became Wing Commander of the 50th TRW at Hahn AFB, Germany. In 1980, Scott was assigned to Headquarters, Tactical Air Command, as the assistant deputy chief of staff for plans. In his last assignment, in 1983, he was Deputy Chief of Staff for Staff Programs and Resources at Headquarters, Tactical Fighter Weapons Center, Nellis AFB, NV.
Scott retired in 1984, after serving 30 years of active duty, and the family remained in Las Vegas. Scott did not stay idle for long and worked for two years as a stock broker with EF Hutton, followed by employment as the general manager of Las Vegas People Mover, a German project to build a magnetic levitation train from downtown Las Vegas to the airport. After a year, the Germans decided to quit, as the city politicians could not come to an agreement on the project.
Next, Scott became the campus director of the Century School. He was president of Silver Eagle Enterprises and Clever Communications and very active in the Las Vegas and Nellis communities. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Nevada Federal Credit Union and chairman of the board twice. He was a member and former local, state, and regional president of the National Board of Directors of the Air Force Association. He was a charter member of the Nellis Support Team. He belonged to the National Congress on Aviation and Space Education, the Retired Officers’ Association, Daedalians, Quiet Birdmen, and the Las Vegas Rotary. He still had time for golf, crossword puzzles, and sports, and was a huge fan of UNLV basketball.
Scott spent his entire life associated with the Air Force. He was born an Air Force brat, joined the Air Force Reserves as an Airman clean sleeve, spent 30 years on active duty, and stayed active with Nellis for the rest of his life. A memorial service was held there on 16 May 2003, and more than 400 people attended.
Scott is survived by his wife of 40 years, their three daughters, Holly, Merry, and Carol; three grandchildren, Brooke, Mara, and Matthew; and his brother Tony ’56. Scott was many things and lived a very full and meaningful life, but he was taken from us too soon. Scott was one of the good guys, or, in his words, a “good toad.”
Well done, Scott. Be thou at peace. |
