By Jeremy P. Amick Graduation from a Nashville area high school in 1956 was only the beginning of a technology-laden adventure for local veteran Bill Gerth. Accepted for a highly competitive Navy ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) scholarship, the aspiring sailor relinquished his future to the promise of training with the newest of technologies. “After high school, I went directly to Vanderbilt University on scholarship,” he said. “I had the option to attend other universities, but I chose Vanderbilt because I knew I could live a lot cheaper if I were to remain at home.” Earning his bachelor’s degree in engineering in 1960, Gerth was required to fulfill a term of service with the Navy. Enthralled by the opportunity, he requested assignment to their guided missile program. “I always had an interest in aviation and rockets,” he said, “and (the Navy) granted my wish.” Prior to departing for advanced military training, Gerth married his fiancée Erika, whom he had met in college, two days after his graduation. For the next four months, the young sailor attended the Naval Guided Missiles School at Dam Neck, Va., learning the fundamentals of rocket propulsion and the different types of guidance systems—specifically those related to the Talos missile (named for a figure from ancient Greek mythology). “The Talos was a surface-to-air missile,” explained Gerth. “When the missile got within certain range of its target, a proximity fuse was triggered and blew it apart,” he added. In the fall of 1960, the newly trained ensign
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