April 12, 2017 at 3:13 p.m.
VFW hosts 97th birthday bash for World War II vet
VFW hosts 97th birthday bash for World War II vet
Weidling, who turned 97 on March 12, was astounded.
"Words don't explain it, it really is a surprise," he said, as well-wishers approached to wish him a happy birthday and comment on how sweet and kind a man he is.
Weidling is originally from Martin Grove, Ill. He was an apprentice jeweler taking care of his parents when, at the age of 24, he was drafted into World War II. He served in the Navy for 21 months from late 1944 to 1946.
He went to the Great Lakes boot camp for five weeks, then San Francisco. From there, he took to the seas.
Of the 21 months he served, 18 were on the USS Sarasota where he was a throttleman, adding steam to the turbine to turn the propeller.
"The ship was built in two months and we got on the ship, went on the shakedown cruise (tested the performance of the ship) and went overseas to the Admiralty Islands (of Papau New Guinea)," Weidling said, recalling his days as a young sailor.
Like any other seaman, he underwent certain traditions, such as the ceremony where a pollywog - a seaman who has never crossed the equator - becomes a shellback by crossing the equator.
"They fill a trough up with garbage from the kitchen and you have to crawl through that and at the other end they've got a couple guys that would push you back and when you get in the stockade the guys behind you giving you a little shock. And then they open that up and you go into - it was like a little swimming pool - and two guys were in there and they grab you and they put you down underneath and pull you back up and say 'pollywog or shellback?' and if you said 'pollywog' back down you'd go again," he said with a little chuckle.
At one point during deployment he went back home to Illinois, flagged a taxi, learned that he and the driver lived in the same area and got a ride home.
"When I rapped at the door I thought my mother - she didn't know I was coming - I thought she was going to faint for god's sake," Weidling said.
His mother wasn't the only lady he visited.
Prior to deployment, he had a girlfriend, Gloria. He said they talked about marriage but he didn't think it was fair to make her his wife before he was deployed, in case he didn't come back. However, while on his first leave, he proposed to Gloria and gave her his signet ring.
Weidling left the service as a machinist mate and went to work for a different jeweler, who gave him wedding bands and engagement ring, a suit, shirt and tie.
Weidling and Gloria were married May 11, 1946.
They had two children, Patricia Stolar and Mark Weidling.
His boss's kindness wasn't the only sweet gift he received. Another act of kindness he was grateful for was when his realtor told him he didn't have to pay the mortgage on his house until he was out of the service - a period of about two years.
"That was really something, and his wife used to come once a week and take my mother shopping," Weidling said.
Sadly, Gloria passed away 24 years ago.
Two years after she died he met a banker, Roberta Sullivan, and asked her out. He said he found many similarities between her and his late wife, that they were both caring, honest and warm women.
In 1997, they moved to Sugar Camp to be near his daughter, and built a house.
About seven or eight years ago she longed to be with her child and grandchildren, and moved to Minneapolis.
Weidling stayed in the Northwoods, but he keeps in contact with her and drives out to see her every now and then.
"I'm just glad I'm here," he said, thinking back on his long life. "The Lord sure has been good to me."
Kayla Breese may be reached at kayla@rivernews online.com.
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