Weatherhead, Edward "Ted" (Interview outline and video), 2011
Oral history
Veterans History Project (U.S.)
United States--History, Military
Michigan--History, Military
Veterans
Video recordings
United States. Army Air Corps
World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American
Ted Weatherhead was attending college at Ohio University when Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941. He immediately enlisted in the Army Air Corps, but had to wait for some time before starting his training. After surviving the initial screening and tests at San Antonio, he made it successfully through pilot training, only to be assigned to fly transport planes rather than fighters. Assigned to a transportation squadron early in 1944, he flew his C-47 to North Africa and then to England, where he underwent an accelerating training program to prepare him to drop paratroopers into Normandy. Between June, 1944 and May, 1945, he flew eight combat missions as part of the D-Day and Market Garden operations, as well as over 250 supply missions.
Weatherhead, Edward "Ted"
Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives
In Copyright
Weaver, Bruce (Interview outline and video), 2013
Bruce was born in Detroit, Michigan on April 16, 1922. He grew up in Fowler, Michigan and was drafted into the Army Air Corps on February 12, 1942. Bruce served as a medic. He was sent to Scotland during the war and helped coordinate flights home for wounded troops. He also spent some time in France and Poland. Bruce was discharged in 1946, and moved back home to Lansing where he continued his job at Oldsmobile.
Weaver, Bruce
Weaver, Dale A. (Interview outline and video), 2007
United States. Navy
Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American
Dale Allen Weaver is a veteran and former E-6 who served in the U.S. Navy from 1976 to 1990. In this account, Weaver briefly discusses his pre-enlistment years, his basic training and other training in the U.S. Navy. Additionally, he discusses his service assignments around the U.S. and briefly discusses his secret missions as a Navey Seal in Panama, Beirut, and Lebanon. Finally, he discusses his athletic years with the Para-Olympics following his navy service.
Weaver, Dale A.
Weaver, David, Sr.(Interview outline and video), 2014
Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American
United States. Air Force
David Weaver Sr. was born in 1964 in Madrid, Spain, where his father was in the Air Force, and grew up in Michigan. He joined the Air Force in 1982 trained at Lackland and later Lowry Air Force Bases and became a procurement specialist. He served at George Air Force base working in the procurement department and serving on the base's drill team. Conflicts with some of his superiors led to a situation in which he was mistreated badly enough to lead to PTSD, and while he worked through those problems, he chose to leave the Air Force when his enlistment ended in 1986.
Weaver, David, Sr.
Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)
Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
Weber, Shirley (Interview outline, video, and papers), 2008
United States. Army
Shirley Weber served in the 32nd Infantry (Red Arrow) Division during WWII in New Guinea. His company teamed up with the Australians fighting Japanese soldiers on the island. He spent time fighting in Buna, Saidor and Aitape battles. He received the Bronze Star for an operation to pull out fire from the Japanese hiding in the jungle. He contracted malaria on New Guinea, which eventually led to his being sent home, where we worked with German POWs at a camp in Chicago. Military papers appended to the interview outline.
Weber, Shirley
Master plan reports
Webster Township (Mich.)
Washtenaw County (Mich.)
The General Plan for Webster Township was prepared by the Webster Township Planning Commission circa 1996.
Webster Township Planning Commission, Webster Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan
Planning and Zoning Center Collection (RHC-240)
No Copyright - United States
Nathan Sargent from Daniel Webster, June 15, 1852
Sargent, Nathan, 1794-1875
Fillmore, Millard, 1800-1874
Webster, Daniel, 1782-1852
Clayton, John M. (John Middleton), 1796-1856
Whig Party (U.S.)
United States--Politics and government--19th century
United States--Officials and employees
United States. Department of State
Buffalo (N.Y.)
Lobos Islands (Venezuela)
Cover letter for registration of the American ship St. Paul from A.H.P. Edwards Esq., U.S. Counsel at Manila, by Daniel Webster to Nathan Sargent, Register of the Treasury.
Nathan Sargent papers, (RHC-44)
Al Weener (audio interview and transcript) 2018
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Douglas (Mich.)
Outdoor recreation
Fishing
Fishermen
Gay bars
Allegan County (Mich.)
Audio recordings
Al Weener describes his connections to West Michigan as well as his time as a fisherman in Saugatuck
Weener, Al
Stories of Summer project, Kutsche Office of Local History. Grand Valley State University
Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project)
Weidner, Fred (Interview outline and video), 2010
Fred Weidner served in the 222nd Searchlight Battalion in the Pacific in World War II. His unit was deployed to New Guinea in 1944, and then to the Philippines in early 1945, where he witnessed enemy bombing raids and kamikaze attacks.
Weidner, Fred
Weingate, Charles (Interview outline and video), 2007
Charles Weingate was born in West Hazelton, Pennsylvania and moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan as a child. He was drafted into the Army in 1944 before finishing high school, but was allowed to finish. He became a radio operator in the Signal Corps. His unit's objective was to create a source of sound to deceive the enemy into thinking that there were more Americans present than there were. He landed in Naples and operated throughout the Italian peninsula. He spent some time in Italy working for the Air Force after the war was over. He was sent home in 1946. After the war, he worked several jobs, most of which were in factories.
Weingate, Charles
Byron Area Historic Museum (Byron Center, Mich.)
Weiss, Elma (Interview transcript and video), 2010
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League--Personal narratives
Baseball for women--United States
Baseball
Sports for women
World War, 1939-1945
Baseball players--Illinois
Women
Elma Weiss was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1923. She attended Ohio State University and then enlisted in the Navy in 1943. She served in Oakland, California during the war and subsequently attended the University of California and was playing in a softball league in the area when she was recruited for the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. She played for parts of two seasons with the Peoria Redwings and Rockford Peaches, including a barnstorming tour of the south, and was a reserve outfielder. After her time in the league, she continued her education, received a doctorate and was a Professor of Physical Education at Phoenix College in Arizona.
Weiss, Elma
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Collection, (RHC-55)
Welch, Eugene (Interview outline and video), 2011
Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American
Gene Welch was born near Midland, Pennsylvania in 1942. After graduating high school in 1960, he decided to join the Navy. Mr. Welch received his basic training at Great Lakes Naval Academy, and then went to a training school in San Diego to specialize in welding and metal working. He worked on the repair ship USS Klondike and the oiler USS Chemung. He made cruises to Japan, The Philippines, and Hong Kong on both of them. After returning to the United States in 1963, he was stationed at Long Beach for another year while the Chemung was being overhauled.
Welch, Eugene
Milton A. Welch to his mother, Sep. 24, 1860
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
United States. Army. New York Infantry Regiment, 50th (1861-1865)
City Point (Hopewell, Va.)
Parishville (N.Y.)
A letter from Milton A. Welch to his mother describing the camp at City Point, Va. with the New York 50th Infantry Regiment and updating her on recent events.
Welch, Milton A.
Civil War and slavery collection (RHC-45): http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/472
Letter from Gideon Welles to Commodore H. H. Bell
Welles, Gideon, 1802-1878
Bell, H. H.
Letter from Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy, to Commadore H. H. Bell refusing to accept his resignation, July 30, 1863.
Wells, Gerald A. (Interview outline and video) 2007
Gerald served as an instructor in the Army from 1953 to 1955, despite failing his physical for the Navy. Gerald focuses mostly on his home life prior to and after enlistment. He also briefly recounts the complications of integration of the armed forces.
Wells, Gerald A.
Lowell Area Historical Museum (Lowell, Mich.)
Wells, John (Interview outline and video), 2014
United States. National Guard
John Wells was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1930 and his family moved to Michigan in 1931, graduating from high school in 1949 in Grand Rapids. He then attended Grand Rapids Community College and served in the Michigan Army National Guard. After hearing rumors that his National Guard unit would be deployed to fight in the Korean War he decided to transfer to the Air Force in February 1951. He received training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas; University of Southern California School of Aeronautics, Santa Maria, California; and Chanute Field, Illinois. He was first stationed at George Air Force Base, California with the 4th Tow Target Squadron and then sent to Ashiya Air Force Base in Kyushu, Japan where he served with the 816th "Packet Rats" Troop Carrier Squadron flying supply and repair missions to Korea. From May to July of 1953 he served in Vietnam as an engine technician aiding the French air force at the time when they were building the base at Dien Bien Phu. He returned to Japan after his short stint in Vietnam, served a year at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, and left the Air Force in January 1955.
Wells, John
Wendt, Steven (Interview outline and video), 2010
Steve Wendt served in the US Navy between 1968 and 1972. He did a tour in Vietnam as an engine mechanic working on river craft on the Mekong River. He went on numerous patrols and saw combat on a regular basis. His unit went into Cambodia on a number of occasions, and helped to escort Vietnamese refugees from Cambodia back into Vietnam.
Wendt, Steven
Wermuth, Gary (Interview outline and video), 2013
Gary was born near Ithaca, Michigan and later attended Michigan State University. He graduated from college with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1965. Gary received his draft notice in January 1966 for the United States Army. He was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training and later attended communications school at Fort Gordon. Gary was stationed in Germany for 18 months and served with the 6th Battalion, 10th Artillery, Headquarters Battery located in Bamberg.
Wermuth, Gary
Caledonia High School (Caledonia, Mich.)
Werner, Jacob (Interview outline and video), 2008
Jacob Werner served in the Army in World War II. He initially joined the Army in 1938 and served in Panama, until he was put on reserve. He was then called up in 1943, and served in Europe. He was a medium tank commander in an infantry battalion in France, the Low Countries, and Germany. Specifically, he served in the Hurtgen Forest and the Falaise Gap. He also served as a Special Services Officer in Germany after the war.
Werner, Jacob
Werner, Jake (Interview outline and video), 2008
Jake Werner was born on November 29, 1917 in Grand Rapids, Michigan and enlisted in the Army on May 1, 1938. After training Jake was sent to Panama and was not at all enjoying himself because of the drug problem in the area and decided to buy is way out of the service. He returned back the US and remained in a reserve unit until he was called to active duty in February of 1941. Jake went through Officer Candidate School and then helped form one of the first armored divisions, which were relatively new at the time. They were later sent to Britain for more training and then traveled through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany throughout the remainder of the war.
Werner, Jake
Wessels, John (Interview outline and video), 2012
John Wessels, born and in Grand Rapids Michigan in 1924, served in the U.S. Navy from January 1941 to November 1945 during World War II. After having completed his basic training, John was assigned to be an aviation radioman. His first deployment was to BOB 208, a unit of PBY seaplanes, in Florida and the Caribbean. Here, John looked for submarines. John was then transferred to the 208th of the 26th and flew in the Pacific, mainly performing reconnaissance. His unit started in Hawaii, served in several areas, including off Okinawa, and flew into Tokyo Bay at the end of the war.
Wessels, John
West Shore Golf Links pamphlet and golf record
Golf
Pamphlets
Printed pamphlet for West Shore Golf Links located in Douglas, Michigan, and known as "A Sporty 18 Hole Golf Course of Natural Beauty." The front of the pamplet has a description of West Shore Golf Links and their lodging, highlighting the location and types of rooms available. The "Local Ground Rules" are featured on the back page. The interior includes the scores and record of Bob Seils and Don Walsh from a golf game dated July 13, 1953.
West Shore Golf Links
Digital file contributed by Jerri Walsh as part of the Stories of Summer project.
Copyright Undetermined
Westbrook, Tom (Interview outline and video), 2006
Tom Westbrook was born in 1919 in Ionia, Michigan. He enlisted in the Army after Pearl Harbor and trained as an aircraft mechanic at Keesler Field, Mississippi. Immediately after training, he was sent to Australia, where he worked at bases in Brisbane and Townsville, and volunteered for duty nearer the combat zones. He then went to Finschaefen and Hollandia, New Guinea, and then to Morotai, and from there to Okinawa and, after the war, to Japan.
Westbrook, Tom
Westdale, Virgil (Interview outline and video), 2009
Virgil Westdale was born Virgil Nishimura in Millersburg, Indiana and served in World War II. He was trained as a pilot but because his father was Japanese he was demoted to an infantryman and placed in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which consisted primarily of Japanese-Americans. He worked in the Fire Direction Center for his unit, and spent time in combat in Europe. His unit also worked in occupied Germany after combat.
Westdale, Virgil