David Wilkerson

 

Birth date

 

 September 21,1922

 

 

Age they entered the service

 

 18 when joined

 

 

Hometown

 

 Cripple Creek, Colorado southwest slope of pikes peak

 

 

Branch of the service

 

 Army

 

 

Rank

 

 5th Corporal Tech E

 

 

Name of their unit

 

1080th Engineer dredge crew 

 

When they served

 

Inducted July 1943 

 

Where did you serve?

 

 Basic training at Fort Welling in Minnesota

 

Active service is European theater ops in England, Wales, Scotland, France and Germany

 

Did you enlist or were you drafted?

 

 Drafted

 

How did you feel about going to war?

 

 Ok about it because it was the “Vital Interest” of the United States to take over Hitler and the Nazi regime

 

 

 

Did you have any family members that went to war? If so, did they survive?

 

 Yes, Brother 3 and a half years younger active duty in the Phillepeans

 

Were you ever wounded? How and where?

 

 No, but came close many times

 

 

 

Did you receive any medals? Which ones?

 

 Yes, good conduct victory medal, two battle stars for campaign runs

 

 

Do you have a war story you would like to tell?

 

Yes, one night while I was sleeping after a lookout shift in the early morning hours a buzz bomb flew and landed several feet from our boat that was a close call

 

There was a funny story about the bombing of Hiroshima my buddy heard on armed forces radio that we hit Japan with a bomb with the equivalent to 20000 tons of TNT and I didn’t believe my friend because we were headed to fight in the east but after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki we got taken off of duty and got to go home

 

What was your reaction when you found out the war was over?

 

Jubilation!

 

 

 

What was the most frightening event of the war for you?

 

Battle of the Bulge because we were almost made infantryman. While we were marched out (to become infantrymen) buzz bombs flew over our heads headed for the allies

 

 

What was the most cherished memory of the war for you?

 

When the war was over because I knew I could go back to college

VJ day was great because the world was at peace

 

Do you have regrets about your service in World War II?

 

No, because it had to be done

 

 

 

 

How do you feel about America today?

 

It’s a mess with all the Iraqi problems

 

 

 

How do you feel about the war with Iraq?

 

Ghastly mistake every reason to find Osama Bin Laden, I think it’s a god awful mess and a bunch of crap. But I do understand Islamic rising they have no respect and aren’t happy

 

 

 

 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

 

No