Wilfred Lawrence Weseman grew up during the Great Depression [Annotator's Note: the Great Depression was a global economic depression that lasted from 1929 through 1939 in the United States] and it was difficult. His family had very little money. He lived with his father’s mother who had buried some gold coins on her property. His father stole the coins one day to bail himself out of some trouble. When Weseman was 12 years old, he was sent to a Baptist boarding school for two years. He was kicked out of the school and he went to his mother’s mother’s house where he worked on the farm and attended school. When he was 16, he graduated and left to be on his own. He attended junior college for a while, but did not graduate. One day, he learned that his father had a baby daughter. He located his father in Sacramento, California at a gambling house. [Annotator’s Note: Video break at 0:07:46.000.] He worked with his father for a short time, but then registered for the draft. He then worked at the Sacramento Air Department. Weseman took an entrance exam into the Army Air Cadet program and passed. After passing the physical exam, he was accepted into the program. He had to have the draft board approve his acceptance.

[Annotator’s Note: Interviewee’s chair makes noise throughout the segment.] After being accepted into the Army Air Corps Cadet Program in February 1944, Wilfred Lawrence Wesseman boarded a train and headed to basic training in Lincoln, Nebraska. The instructors were not very nice and treated the cadets harshly. The weather was freezing cold and the instructors made them stand outside for hours at a time. The camp was mixed with guys from California and New Orleans [Annotator’s Note: New Orleans, Louisiana]. Weseman contracted 48-hour measles and was delayed in his transfer to school. The medical professionals thought he was too skinny and put him on a weight gain regimen. He was sent to a college training detachment. [Annotator’s Note: Sirens can be heard in the background at 0:18:15.000.] Weseman was then sent to Santa Ana, California for primary training and flew his first solo flight. He was sent to Arizona where he flew a BT-13 [Annotator’s Note: The Vultee BT-13 Valiant] at secondary training and flew AT-6s [Annotator's Note: North American AT-6 Texan advanced trainer aircraft] at advanced training. While in training, he had a small air collision with another plane where their wing tips hit each other. Weseman was able to land the plane. He thought he was going to be kicked out of the program, but when he appeared before his commander, he was told he did the right thing. On 15 April 1944, Weseman graduated from flight school as a second lieutenant. He was then sent to Ajo [Annotator’s Note: Ajo, Arizona] to receive gunnery training, then to Victorville, California for additional training. The weather was so hot that the coolant began to boil while he waited to take off on the tarmac.

[Annotator’s Note: Interviewee’s chair makes noise throughout the segment.] After receiving his commission as a second lieutenant, Wilfred Lawrence Weseman was sent for further training, specifically in altitude training. He flew the P-63 [Annotator’s Note: Bell P-63 Kingcobra], P-39 [Annotator's Note: Bell P-39 Aerocobra fighter aircraft], and P-38 [Annotator's Note: Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft] during this training. He was sent to Hamilton Field [Annotator’s Note: Hamilton Army Field, California] for overseas duty in Italy with the 15th Air Force. His two friends were sent to France, and both were killed within the first few months that they were there. Weseman’s first mission was flying a P-38 deep into Germany in the number two position. He was very nervous, but performed successfully. As he went on missions, he performed many dive bombing missions. The planes were not perfect and many mishaps occurred during missions.

[Annotator’s Note: Interviewee’s chair makes noises throughout the segment.] Wilfred Lawrence Weseman served in Italy with the 15th Air Force. His plane gave him warnings when other planes came too close. [Annotator’s Note: Video break at 0:47:24.000.] He associated with some Australian pilots and became friendly with many of them. Weseman went around the countryside to buy chickens for 12 dollars. Weseman knew a man who flew with the RAF [Annotator’s Note: Royal Airforce] and then returned to the United States. He then re-enlisted and joined the 15th Air Force. Many of his targets were bridges and marshaling yards. He explained that he had to get both ends of the bridge down. He discussed many strategies that they had including dropping Russian letters into Germany. One night he was trying to get to the airfield to load in a plane, and he witnessed another plane trying to take off, but it blew up.

Annotator’s Note: Interviewee’s chair makes noises throughout the segment.] Wilfred Lawrence Weseman served in Italy with the 15th Air Force. The living conditions were very primitive and Weseman and his buddies used different plane materials to improve the conditions. His buddy, Wiggins, was attacked by a German Me 262 [Annotator's Note: German Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter aircraft] and was turned upside down with bombs on board. His friend’s wingtip was on fire, and about to plunge into the ground. Wiggins began to climb altitude when the Me 262 came after him again. He then removed his canopy and realized the fire was going out, so he decided to go around the Alps. When Wiggins got close to base, he turned off all the switches and landed on the steel tarmac and stopped in the Italian mud. Weseman had missions to bomb oil fields to support the bomber planes. Many pilots wanted to mimic the uniform that Eisenhower [Annotator's Note: General of the Army Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force; 34th President of the United States] was wearing. [Annotator’s Note: phone rings at 1:12:25.000.] Weseman liked the P-38 [Annotator's Note: Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft] because it had two engines and could stay out longer. He also was part of some photo reconnaissance missions over targets before and after bombings.

Annotator’s Note: Interviewee’s chair makes noises throughout the segment.] Wilfred Lawrence Weseman served in Italy with the 15th Air Force. His birthday was 1 May 1945 and he did not want to fly on that day. However, he was scheduled for a mission. He then learned that it was his last mission. After the war, he used the G.I. Bill [Annotator's Note: the G.I. Bill, or Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was enacted by the United States Congress to aid United States veterans of World War 2 in transitioning back to civilian life and included financial aid for education, mortgages, business starts and unemployment] to go back to school. He was married while he was overseas, and he believes that his wife was affected by the war. [Annotator’s Note: Video break at 1:22:27.000.] Weseman believes that World War 2 turned America around because it got the country out of the Great Depression [Annotator's Note: The Great Depression was a global economic depression that lasted from 1929 through 1939 in the United States] and jump started the economy. He is worried about America and where the country is going. Weseman believes there should be institutions like the National WWII Museum [Annotator's Note: The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana], and that we should continue to teach World War 2 to future generations.