Dayton Daily News sports editor Si Burick wrote in his article dated January 28, 1965, “He made it at U.D. as he had made it in high school, principally because he was a violent competitor-not big, not small, just as hard as nails and ready for action.”
Burick stated that “he was a great athlete, great competitor, great fighter, great pilot, great officer-that’s East End product Pesky Werner.”
As a sophomore in 1930, Werner was the starting right end and receiver for the Stivers football team that was invited to play in Miami, Florida on Christmas day.
In 1931 and 1932 Pesky was named to the All-City First Team at the right end position. Both years the Tigers beat Steele for the City Championship. Werner also played basketball for Stivers. He was named to the Honorable Mention All-City Team in 1933.
Pesky accepted a 4 year football scholarship to play for the U.D. Flyers where he also played right end. While at U.D. he participated in the Golden Gloves boxing competition and was in the R.O.T.C. Program.
After graduating from U.D. in 1938, due to his R.O.T.C. commitment, Werner entered active duty in the U.S. Navy aviation school. He was a fighter pilot for 15 years.
During WWII he flew off aircraft carriers in the Pacific. Pesky made history in 1956 when he was the first pilot to land a jet on an aircraft carrier. It was said that the landing was “smooth as silk” and he likened it to playing in a big game at Stivers and U.D.
On Friday, February 5, 1965, Captain Werner took command of the aircraft carrier USS Shangri-La. Unfortunately, he came down with cancer that same year and passed away at the Bethesda Naval Hospital on December 14, 1965. He is buried in Oakland Cemetery in Jacksonville, Florida. Werner was married to Ida Lois Carlyn. They had five daughters.
