Ed Mergele, III

Edwin W. “Ed” Mergele, a native of San Antonio, graduated in 1975 from UT with a Bachelor of Architecture (BAR), Magna Cum Laude. In 1975 he also completed his fourth year as a UT NROTC Midshipman and received his commission as a Line Officer in the Navy. He spent his first six months of active service in training to prepare for the Surface Warfare specialty and as a Talos missile battery officer. His first ship was the USS Albany (CG-10), flagship of the 2nd Fleet, homeported in Norfolk Virginia. Eight months later Albany “crossdecked” with the USS Littlerock (CLG-4) in Gaeta, Italy to take over duties as flagship of the 6th Fleet. In 1979 Ed returned to the United States and traded a regular Navy commission for one in the Naval Reserve.

During the next twenty years, he served another 18+ years in the Naval Reserve, retiring as a Commander, and earning his pennant as Commanding Officer of Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit 108 (MIUWU-108), based at Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, TX. He was recalled to active duty twice: once in 1985 to assist the Operations officer for the Chief of Naval Reserve in New Orleans, LA and the second time with MIUWU-108 for service in Operation Desert Storm. The latter was served in Ad Dammam, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait City, Kuwait. Among his awards are the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, and the Kuwait Liberation Medal.

While serving in the Naval Reserve, he earned an MBA from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He pursued a career as an Architect and Realtor in the private sector from 1980 to 1984. After a move from San Antonio to Houston in 1985 he moved to the public sector and served the City of Houston as an Architect, ultimately resulting in his being appointed City Architect. After 22 years he retired from the City of Houston and served a brief time as Building Official for the City of Hunter’s Creek. Upon moving back to his hometown of San Antonio in 2007 he helped his three other siblings with the family business, EWM Company in Boerne, Texas and served on the boards of the UT NROTC Alumni Foundation and the Midshipmans Foundation. His interest in researching and documenting the history of the UT NROTC unit is a natural outgrowth of his work as the alumni newsletter editor, the alumni Webmaster and his love for history.

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