Thought there have been movies and documentaries made about the events of World War II the story of the common man has been underrepresented. Movies like Pearl Harbor glamorize the hero and his epic love story. Untold are the graphic accounts and emotional stresses that were experienced by the common soldier. Henry Wedman was born December 10 th 1922, in the small town of Arkansas City, Kansas. Spending most of his time working on the family farm he barely had time for school let alone time to pursue the love of his life, Laverna Adler.
Wedman eventually accomplished his goals; he graduated high school and married Laverna in 1941. Wasting no time the two gave birth to their fist child Shirley, shortly after they were married. While Wedman was starting his family the war was starting to effect American soil. The Bombing of Pearl Harbor sparked the mobilization of the United States. Henry’s budding family was put on hold when he was drafted in October 1942.
He completed his basic training at Ft. Riley Kansas. Ft. Riley was not too far from his home of Arkansas City. Leaving his beloved wife Laverna and 1-year-old daughter Shirley behind, Wedman crossed the Atlantic arriving in Italy. Wedman’s first action was on the hills of Mt.
Della in support of Company “B.” Wedman describes the movement down the slope and up the far side attempting to reach the crest of the mountain. “It was like I was wearing blinders, I had no peripheral vision I just kept moving.” said Wedman, “The sounds of gun shots and mortars pressured me to focus and continue up the mountain.” Dangerous as it sounds Wedman survived his first combat experience unscratched. After the action on Mt. Della, Wedman had time to write to his wife in Kansas.
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The two wrote as frequently as possible which eased Wedman. “Being on the other side of the world I could not help but worry about my family and my farm.” said Wedman, “Luckily our small town did what it could to help out.” Wedman spoke of the help the community did for his family. Laverna in Kansas could not raise a child and work the farm. His neighbors, his parents and his sisters all pitched in and worked extra hard to keep the family farm running. With the war across seas and the absence of some of the town’s men Arkansas City faced much hardship. It was a heavy load for them to carry but they knew they had to and they knew eventually everything would be okay.
Wedman did not stay in the Mt. Della area for long. He was shipped to the Po River Valley in Italy. Wedman’s time in the Po Valley was not spent in combat like that of Mt Della, but was spent building a bridge that crossed the river so troops and tanks could continue moving through Italy. Wedman described the area as much less intense and he was still able to keep in contact with his wife. He said he had more time to think and more time to become homesick.
As homesick as he was he managed to be commissioned a Second Lieutenant in November 1944. Wedman claimed to have concentrated less on what he was doing in the valley and more on his thoughts of home. He described this as a tough time. Being pulled away from his newlywed wife and first born was beginning to take a toll.
One could only imagine being a young man miles from home in a foreign country working to help thousands of troops and tanks cross a river. Troops and tanks that in a short time will be engaged in battle, the same type of battle that stressed Wedman to the point he was not fully aware of his surrounding the type of battle that put blinders on young Wedman and kept him pushing forward.” I was as brave as I could be; I knew I had a responsibility to my country, but it was hard to forget about my responsibility to my family.” said Wedman. Wedman spent the rest of his time over seas in the Po River Valley. He was stationed there to guard the counter attacks of the Germans in Italy. He was involved in minimal amounts of combat and nothing that he described was even close to the time he spent on Mt Della. Wedman claims Mt.
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Della changed his life. Wedman described his regiments actions as mild through May 2 nd, which was the day the Germans in Italy surrendered. Shortly after the surrender of the German troops in Italy, Uncle Sam felt it was time for Wedman to return to the states now that the war was nearing an end. After three years away from his wife and now 3-year-old child Wedman wept when he heard the new he would be returning home. “Believe me, nothing in the whole world could have made me a happier man than hearing that news.” said Wedman.
After his return home much had changed in Arkansas. The farm was is considerably worse shape then when he had left, but Wedman and his family fought bravely just as our troops had fought bravely in Europe and the Pacific. Henry Wedman currently lives in Ponca Oklahoma, which is about an hour away from the family farm that is now ran by his son Scott Wedman. Henry suffers form the beginning stages of Alzheimer disease. He currently has trouble recalling short-term memory. Wedman had no problem describing his experiences during the war; he was able to describe them as if they had happened yesterday.
Leading one to believe that those events have been replayed over and over in is mind. Wedman like many of the other surviving veterans of WWII is in his early 80’s. Before long it will be impossible to share information of the past with men like Henry Wedman. The public may be unaware of the loss of such a valuable informational resource..
