Fred Wesighan grew up in Kenilworth, New Jersey. After he graduated high school, he wanted to be a pilot in the military, but he had high blood pressure and they would not accept him. He volunteered for the service and was sent to Camp Wheeler near Macon, Georgia for basic training. After he completed basic training, Wesighan was sent to Pennsylvania by train. After a week on a train, he arrived in Seattle [Annotator's Note: Seattle, Washington]. He was put on a ship and landed at Adak [Annotator's Note: Adak, Aleutian Islands, Alaska] in the Aleutian Islands. He was assigned to K Company [Annotator's Note: Company K, 3rd Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division]. His division secured the island, and they were ordered to secure Attu Island [Annotator's Note: Attu, Aleutian Islands, Alaska]. His company was then sent to Kiska [Annotator's Note: Kiska, Aleutian Islands, Alaska]. When they landed, they were not met with any resistance. They did not know what happened to the Japanese. At one point, they mistook the Canadian Army for the Japanese. They began firing upon one another until they were told to cease fire. They returned to Adak, where they boarded a ship headed to Oahu [Annotator's Note: Oahu, Hawaii]. Wesighan was reorganized in the 3rd Battalion headquarters [Annotator's Note: Headquarters Company, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division] as a scout. He trained in Hawaii for three months before being shipped to Kwajalein [Annotator's Note: Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands]. When he landed on the atoll, he was ordered to look for enemies on a weather tower and watch for enemy planes that may bomb the troops. When they secured Kwajalein, they returned to Oahu again. He was reorganized again. He was ordered to help load a ship. They boarded the ship heading to the Philippines but diverted halfway there and landed on Truk [Annotator's Note: Chuuk Lagoon, New Guinea] and stayed there for a month for R&R [Annotator's Note: rest and recuperation]. Soon they reorganized the troops and headed for Leyte [Annotator's Note: Leyte, Philippines]. Wesighan and his unit invaded in the Manila [Annotator's Note: Manila, Luzon, Philippines] area and headed towards Baybay [Annotator's Note: Baybay, Leyte, Philippines]. They set up camp in the city. One morning while shaving, Wesighan heard a "wzzip" and then his hand mirror was gone. He realized that he was almost killed by a Japanese sniper. He also recalled when a typhoon passed through the island and he hid in the cook shack during the duration of the storm. They continued North in the Philippines, defeating the enemy when they were in contact with them.

Fred Wesighan and his unit [Annotator's Note: Headquarters Company, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division] landed on Okinawa [Annotator's Note: Okinawa, Japan] and broke a record crossing the island. They used Amtracks [Annotator's Note: Landing Vehicle, Tracked or LVT; also referred to as amtrack or alligator] to move swiftly. His unit was put in reserve until they were ordered to help support the 184th Regiment [Annotator's Note: 184th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division]. Wesighan was walking along a ridge and saw hundreds of Japanese running south away from the Americans. He went back to his position and began to dig a foxhole when suddenly, he was hit by a mortar shell, and went down like a rock. A Hollywood photographer nearby took a photo of him when it happened and stayed with him throughout the whole ordeal. A medic examined him and put him on a stretcher. He was carried back to the field hospital where he waited to be operated on. They wanted to amputate his leg, but the doctor changed his mind when his toes began warm up again. He was taken to a recovery area where he remembered it to be very dark. The nurse told him to remain quiet because the Japanese were bombing an area near the hospital. Wesighan was there for two days and was put on a hospital ship, named Hope [Annotator's Note: USS Hope (AHS-7)], and sailed to Guam [Annotator's Note: Guam, Mariana Islands]. The photographer was still with him. He recuperated there for a while and then they had flown him to Hawaii. He had a painful recovery, and the shrapnel still remains in his leg. He was then flown state side stopping in various hospitals, finally settling in Crile General Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. After he recovered, he was discharged from the Army.

Fred Wesighan enlisted in the Army after he graduated in high school because he "did not like people kicking around our country." He initially wanted to go into the Navy Flight School, but he enlisted in the Army. While he was stationed in the Aleutian Islands, he recalled planes running into the mountains because the weather was so foggy and cold. He was order to an observation shack to look for any Japanese sightings. His unit [Annotator's Note: Headquarters Company, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division] was also ordered to collect the bodies of fallen Americans on the island of Attu [Annotator's Note: Attu Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska]. Wesighan recalled that the island looked barren after the battle, with trees down everywhere and it was difficult to wade through the thick mud. Kiska's terrain was the same when they invaded that island. He did not experience friendly fire, but the troops in the front line received fire from the Canadians. They were able to catch some salmon when he returned to Adak [Annotator's Note: Adak, Aleutian Islands, Alaska]. Wesighan also shares a story about he and his friends hunting for a pig while on Okinawa [Annotator's Note: Okinawa, Japan]. They hauled the animal back to the cook shed and all the guys were happy to have some pork. He also would prank the new recruits by scaring them when they heard mortar fire. Today, Wesighan still holds animosity toward the Japanese.

Fred Wesighan and his unit [Annotator's Note: Headquarters Company, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division] left the Aleutian Islands and returned to Oahu [Annotator's Note: Oahu, Hawaii]. He remarks that the troops were so happy to be going to a warmer place and sleeping in barracks, they threw their sleeping bags overboard. They practiced ranger training for the invasion of Kwajalein [Annotator's Note: Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands] while they were in Hawaii. They would go out by themselves in pineapple fields and sugar cane fields and learn to scout. When they got near Kwajalein, Wesighan and a couple of other guys were ordered to go ashore at night and survey one of the atolls. They found five Japanese living in shacks. He reported back to his superior what he saw. They were not to engage the enemies. He then landed on another atoll and stayed for two weeks with nonstop fighting. The Japanese tried to infiltrate their lines at night. He thought the best deterrent was a double barrel shotgun. He was given the duty to record all the activities of the line company while on Kwajalein. Once they secured the island, his unit retuned to Oahu. [Annotator's Note: The interviewee goes off topic talking about what military records are available now. His records were destroyed in the fire at the National Personnel Records Center in Saint Louis, Missouri in 1973.]. He had a close friendship with a guy he called, Cowboy. He got along with a couple of guys and stayed in touch with them after the war. After a break in Oahu, his unit was transported to Truk [Annotator's Note: Chuuk Lagoon, New Guinea] and waited to invade Leyte [Annotator's Note: Leyte, Philippines]. When they landed in the Philippines, he remarked that it was a clean landing with little resitence. He recalled using the Higgins Boats [Annotator's Note: Landing Craft Vehicle, Personnel or LCVP] for the invasion. They received some gun fire and mortar fire. He loaded on a truck and headed for Baybay [Annotator's Note: Baybay, Leyte, Philippines]. His unit moved across the Philippines quickly with little resistance. Wesighan thought it was terrible to see Filipino kids eating garbage because they were so hungry. He would give them his bread to the kids. He also recalled the women throwing rice cakes to the soldiers.

Fred Wesighan has visited New Orleans [Annotator's Note: New Orleans, Louisiana] but has never been to The National WWII Museum. He thinks its important for the younger generation learn about World War 2. He does not think his life would be much different if he did not fight in World War 2, but he joined because he did not like our country being attacked. He is proud to have fought and he is proud of his family. [Annotator's Note: Another person off camera begins asking the interviewee questions. The interviewer, interviewee, and additional person then talk about how the 7th Infantry Division was supposed to go to North Africa, but diverted to the Aleutian Islands, and many of the troops froze because they did not have the proper clothing for the weather.] Wesighan remarks that the military knew the Japanese were getting stronger and were beginning to invade parts of China. Wesighan had no idea where he was going when he was on his way to the Aleutian Islands. [Annotator's Note: The additional person comments that he had a Japanese flag Wesighan gave him and appears that he passes the object around. They discuss the flag and then Wesighan shows it to the camera from 0:56:08.000 to 0:57:46.000.] Wesighan took a flag off a Japanese soldier that he killed while on Kwajalein [Annotator's Note: Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands] and brought it home. [Annotator's Note: The additional person comments that he and Wesighan took a trip to Washington D.C. to see the World War II Monument and took several pictures between 0:58:25.000 and 0:59:05.000.] Wesighan did not share his war experiences until later in life. [Annotator's Note: The additional person comments about their search to find records, and Wesighan showed his metals to the camera.]