William H. Wilbur, Jr. USMA 1949

West Point Aog ^

[robowombat]

William H. Wilbur, Jr. 1949 1949 Class Crest Cullum No. 17220 • Sep 06, 1950 • Died in Korea

Lieutenant William H. Wilbur, Jr.. was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on July 25, 1926, the son of Brigadier General William Hale Wilbur. (Class of 1912, USMA) and Laura Schieffelin Wilbur. He was mortally wounded in action near Tabudong, Korea, on September 6, 1950.

Bill lived a short life, a life with a tragic ending, but one with more meaning and purpose than many of us will lead though we live many years. Military ancestry was in his blood. To know him was to be aware of that fact, because it was obvious to all who knew him that Bill was a gallant soldier—obvious to us long before any of us had heard of a battlefront called Korea. It is one thing to be a gallant soldier when there is no war going on. It is something else again to be a gallant officer during combat with the enemy. Bill was both of these—so much so that although his military career was extremely short, it could not have been more useful or more distinguished. During his brief life he strove to get the utmost out of living. He devoted his life to making himself the best soldier possible. His goal was nothing short of perfection. With all this seriousness of purpose, he made you know that he got a tremendous kick out of being alive. Yet he met death the only way he would have wanted to meet it—on the field of battle, as a result of an act of extraordinary heroism. Such was the pattern of his life.

Coming from an Army family. Bill was destined to grow up in many different localities. During his early years he lived in Boston, Fort Benning, Fort Leavenworth, Washington, and Hawaii. In 1938 the Wilburs made their home in Highland Park, Illinois and have lived there ever since. Bill attended school there, where one of his proudest accomplishments was becoming an Eagle Scout.

With his Service background, it was natural that one of Bill’s earliest goals in life was to enter West Point. He never seriously considered anything but a military career which would commence at the Military Academy. After attending Phillips Academy at Andover, Massachusetts for three years, Bill entered Millard's West Point Preparatory School. Subsequently he enlisted in the Army as a private at Camp Roberts, California on April 23, 1945, and received his honorable discharge to enter USMA in July 1945.

To paraphrase the biographical sketch which was written about him in the Howitzer, Bill brought with him to the Academy an exuberant spirit and a sense of humor, neither of which was ever dampened. During his cadet days in Company C-1, he was outstanding in intramural athletics, as well as active in many other diversified fields of interest. Bill's keen, sharp-witted mind gave him the upperhand in many a friendly argument. The high military standards he set for himself while a cadet were indicative of his purpose in life. When his cadet days were ended. Bill graduated into his chosen branch, the Infantry, as his father had done before him, the possessor of warm friendships and the respect of all who knew him.

During the courses we took together at The Ground General School, Fort Riley, and at The Infantry School, Fort Benning, Bill became one of the most capable officers we have known. His high ideals, his ingenuity, his constant desire for self-improvement and his superb physical condition made him an outstanding leader. In a very short time he was to put all of these admirable traits together in combat in such a way as to establish himself indelibly in the memories of all who served with him.

At the completion of his parachutist training at Fort Benning, Bill hopped on his motorcycle and headed for home in Highland Park. On the way he had an accident, and sustained a painful injury. By this time, however, the war in Korea was raging. Bill had orders to report to the Far East Command, and he knew he was headed for combat. Disregarding the advice of his doctors, Bill left home on August 9, 1950 with a draining leg wound, destination Korea. He arrived in Korea about the 25th of August and was assigned to Company I, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division.

It was during the next few days that Bill distinguished himself so heroically. Immediately he volunteered for several extremely dangerous assignments. He accomplished these missions so successfully, and with such aggressive and fearless leadership that at once he gained a superior reputation with enlisted men and officers alike. Perhaps the best way to describe these actions is to quote from his citation for the posthumous award of The Distinguished Service Cross which he received.

“From the 28th of August 1950, when he joined the 8th Cavalry Regiment, Lieutenant Wilbur continually volunteered for extra hazardous duties, leading several combat and reconnaissance patrols deep tnto enemy territory and securing important information as to enemy gun emplacements and troop dispositions. On the morning of September 3, 1960 Company I was given the mission of halting the enemy's advance by cutting the road north of Tabudong, even though the village and terrain to their rear was held by the enemy. Realizing the necessity of clearing the enemy from the village, Lieutenant Wilbur volunteered to lead a thirty man patrol into it. Although continually harrassed by enemy small arms fire he succeeded in clearing a sector. Then, despite the heavy enemy small arms and machine gun fire, he aggressively led his patrol to the far side of the town, where they successfully recovered and evacuated a seriously wounded man. While clearing out the remainder of the village, Lieutenant Wilbur skillfully directed his patrol in repelling an enemy attack, killing six. When the enemy, approximately seventy-five in number, launched a second attack and nearly overwhelmed his troops, Lieutenant Wilbur called for artillery fire upon his own position and broke up the hostile force, allowing his patrol to withdraw to his Company’s position. His courage, initiative and superior leadership were largely responsible for Company I successfully withstanding successive attacks of an enemy in vastly numerical strength over a period of three days. With total disregard for his own safety, he constantly exposed himself to intense enemy fire and on September 6, 1950 was mortally wounded. The extraordinary heroism displayed by Lieutenant Wilbur reflected great credit on himself and is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.”

One of the most fitting tributes a soldier could ever hope to receive was paid to Bill by his Battalion Commander, Lt. Col. Harold K. Johnson, in a letter to General Wilbur.

"Your son was utterly fearless, in fact he seemed to have a total contempt for danger in any form. He eagerly sought the hottest spots in combat. He wouldn't have anything to do with a weapons platoon. His first love was a rifle platoon—that he wanted to command, and command he did for all too short a time.

"There is little that I can say in your hour of grief. Your son maintained the highest traditions of the professional soldier and of West Point. He was supreme in combat, confident of his own ability. He faced grave danger without fear and suffered his mortal wounds without comment."

These words come close to doing Bill justice in the attempt to describe his worth in inadequate words. The fact that many of the enlisted men who fought with Bill in Co. "I" told a surviving officer of the company that Lt. Wilbur was the finest and best officer they'd ever encountered is proof that Col. Johnson was expressing the opinion of the entire outfit when he wrote tn General Wilbur.

General and Mrs. Wilbur may take some rmall comfort in knowing that we shall miss Bill. We all knew that he had more than most of us to live up to. We join in the pride he had in his father's Congressional Medal of Honor. We know that he lived up completely to his father's tradition, and we join Bill's parents in being sadly proud of his own Distinguished Service Cross. Our deepest sympathy is extended to General and Mrs. Wilbur, and to Bill's sister Mary. The Wilburs have suffered the irreplacable loss of a devoted son and brother, one who afforded them unbounded happiness. We have lost a warm friend, and one of our most gallant officers.

The work which lies ahead of those of us who were fortunate enough to survive the war in Korea would have been more easily and thoroughly accomplished if Bill were here to help us. The example which he has set will serve as an inspiration to us In our attempt to fulfill tasks that he, and others like him. would have completed.

[robowombat]

The father received the MOH in WW2 the son the DSC in Korea. Long remember.

[tje]

Thanks for posting this.

[M Kehoe]

Bttt.

5.56mm