. . Regis Wessell of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania wanted to be a marine, like his uncle who served in WWI, but the recruiter didn’t think the young lad had the right stuff. “Go join the Boy Scouts,” the gruff Sgt. barked, belittling Regis for his small stature. Besides, he was only seventeen.
. . The scenery was stunning, but the land below was so desolate that their aerial maps were often blank. For the men transporting supplies and troops from India into the heart of China’s high plateau region, the trip was as dangerous as any combat mission of WW II. Even without
. . During WW II Leonard Weitzman served with the Army in Europe. During June 2-3, 2013, we had the fortunate opportunity to hear and preserve the stories of six Pittsburgh area WWII veterans at century old Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum. As we usually did during our visits
Perhaps it was in war when humans first encountered the failure of language to convey the enormity of experience. After 70 years, Marine Corps veteran Jack Watson still struggles with that gap between word and meaning. Jack Watson joined the Marines in 1942 because he liked the Marine Corps hymn, which
. . Eugene R. Vish comes from a large and very patriotic family. During WWII, three brothers served in the Pacific and three in Europe. They all returned safely from the war and rarely talked about their service. “It’s what we had to do,” he says of America’s role in the war.
. . Don Vitous entered the US Coast Guard in October 1942 and was assigned to beach patrol along the Gulf Coast. Don’s bother, John, who was a member of the 4th Infantry Division, died in Auckland, Germany after participating in the invasion of Normandy. Don returned home after leaving the Coast Guard
