Billy P. Bassett was born in December 1924 in Deep River, Iowa. He grew up in Des Moines, Iowa with his brother and two sisters. His older sister was in the United States Coast Guard and planned a big welcome home when he returned to the United States after World War 2 ended. Bassett graduated high school in 1942. His dad was a blacksmith until the Great Depression [Annotator's Note: The Great Depression, a global economic depression that lasted from 1929 through 1945] hit and had to close his business. Bassett was shocked when he heard the news that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. Bassett worked with his father at a sanitation plant until he enlisted in the Army with the goal of becoming a pilot in 1943. Bassett did basic training at Camp Polk, Louisiana [Annotator's Note: now Fort Polk in Vernon Parish, Louisiana] with the Army and was transferred to the Army Air Corps in Shreveport [Annotator's Note: Shreveport, Louisiana]. Training was hard, but enjoyable. After basic training, he was sent to Kansas State College [Annotator's Note: in Topeka, Kansas] for pilot training.

Billy P. Bassett was assigned to the 11th Armored Division soon after receiving his wings [Annotator's Note: in the Army Air Corps] because of the need for replacements in Europe. He was sent to Birmingham, England on a Liberty Ship [Annotator's Note: a class of quickly produced cargo ship]. The voyage was horrible. Many of the troops got seasick. He was stationed in Conford, England and enjoyed being there. He and a friend arranged USO [Annotator's Note: United Services Organization] activities for the troops and officers. Bassett and his unit debarked from Liverpool [Annotator's Note: Liverpool, England] and landed in France [Annotator's Note: on 17 December 1944]. He traveled swiftly to the front traveling through several towns until he reached Belgium. The weather was cold with snow coming up to his knees. He preferred walking than taking a ride on a half-track [Annotator's Note: M3 half-track; a vehicle with front wheels and rear tracks] because shells easily hit them. Bassett and other guys found an old barn to sleep in one night. One guy went crazy and was sent back for help.

Billy P. Bassett and his unit [Annotator's Note: 11th Armored Division] headed into combat during the Battle of the Bulge [Annotator's Note: Battle of the Bulge or German Ardennes Counter Offensive, 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945]. Bassett's officer selected him to be lead scout after two men had already been killed. As he was out scouting, he was wounded when a German grenade went off covering his face with shrapnel. Bassett laid down in the snow and put his face in his helmet to get the warmth from his blood. The medics recovered Bassett and he spent time in a hospital in Liege, Belgium. A magnet was used to retrieve the bigger pieces of shrapnel from his face. While in the hospital in Belgium, he contracted pneumonia which made his stay longer. He befriended Hugh Martin [Annotator's Note: Hugh Martin; American composer], Judy Garland's [Annotator's Note: born Frances Ethel Gumm; American actress, singer, and dancer] singing coach, while at the hospital and helped coordinated USO [Annotator's Note: United Services Organization] shows. He was then transferred to a hospital in Paris [Annotator's Note: Paris, France]. He continued his work arranging USO shows for troops. He was discharged from the hospital and sent back to combat. On his way down, he found out that the war in Europe had ended. He was so relieved and happy to hear the news. He was sent to a concentration camp in Mauthausen [Annotator's Note: Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp complex; Mauthausen, Austria] to be a prison guard. The prisoners were skin and bones. There were piles and ditches of bodies. It was a horrible sight and it smelled like feces and urine. He had to guard the gate for the safety of the prisoners.

Billy P. Bassett and his unit [Annotator's Note: 11th Armored Division] were put on guard duty at the concentration camp in Mauthausen [Annotator's Note: Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp complex; Mauthausen, Austria] after the war in Europe ended. He was eventually selected to work with the United States Forces in Austria to go around Austria and Germany to photograph resorts for publicity. The selected resorts would eventually be places for troops to rest. Bassett was assigned to two ski resorts and one summer resort and helped with managing the supplies and running the activities for the troops. Many of the troops had accidents skiing and they had to get a doctor assigned at the resort. He enjoyed working the resorts and working with the local people. When Bassett was wounded during the Battle of the Bulge [Annotator's Note: Battle of the Bulge or German Ardennes Counter Offensive, 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945], his friend thought he was dead and sent a later to Bassett's family. His family had to wait a couple more days to receive news that he was alive in a hospital. The doctors used a magnet to retrieve shrapnel from his face. He thought that the treatment towards to people in the concentration camps was horrible, but also felt that many of the German soldiers were just doing their job similar to what the American troops had to do.

Billy P. Bassett stayed in Austria managing resorts for troops for a year and a half after World War 2 ended. He had not realized he could return to the United States so soon after the war ended. After someone made him aware of the point system [Annotator's Note: a point system was devised based on a number of factors that determined when American servicemen serving overseas could return home], he planned to go home. He enjoyed his ride home because the accommodations were nice. His sister met him at the port and took him out for lunch and drinks, and then took him to Camp Kilmer [Annotator's Note: Camp Kilmer, New Jersey]. He used the G.I. Bill to collect a monthly check for a year [Annotator's Note: the 52-20 Club was a government-funded program that paid unemployed veterans 20 dollars per week for 52 weeks]. Bassett was discharged in 1946. He returned to Lake Ozark [Annotator's Note: Lake Ozark, Missouri], set up a souvenir shop and bought a hardware store. Later, he helped run his father-in-law run a grocery store. Bassett's most memorable experience was when he was wounded, and his hospital stay. He enlisted because he did not want to be drafted. It changed his life because it offered him different opportunities. He is proud that he served in World War 2 and he loves how appreciative people are for his service. He thinks people today think a lot about World War 2 and it is important to have institutions like The National WWII Museum [Annotator's Note: in New Orleans, Louisiana].