Jack Wilt was born in February 1927 in Kent, Ohio. He grew up with one younger sister. He played basketball and other sports while in school. His mother died when he was thirteen years old, and he did not have a relationship with his father. Wilt was aware of the rising hostilities in Europe and Japan. He and his family were on their way home from visiting family on a Sunday evening when they heard over the radio about the Pearl Harbor attack [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. He thought this was a major concern because the United States had just been attacked. His father worked for the railroads, otherwise his father may have been drafted. Boys older than Wilt were being drafted left and right, and rationing became a factor for households in his neighborhood. Many households could not buy butter or rubber tires. His community had drives to collect household items that could be used for war production. Wilt was put on an accelerated program in high school, so he would be eligible to serve in the military when he graduated. He was drafted into the Army a few months after his training, and inducted at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. He was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for 16 weeks of basic training. Wilt went into training as a boy and came out as a man. He hardened up and had a mature outlook on life. Upon completion of basic training, he had some leave [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time] and went home. He then reported to Camp Pickett, Virginia where he received rifle training and guarded the perimeter of the camp. His time there was boring. By the time he completed all of his training, the war in Europe had ended. On his way over to Europe, his ship stopped to avoid a German minefield, and a ship ahead of his hit the mines and sunk. [Annotator’s Note: Interviewee has a paper that he waves in front of his face at 0:11:50.000.]

Jack Wilt grew up with his German great-grandparents and knew some German. However, when he reached Nuremberg, Germany he could not understand the dialect. As he traveled through Germany, he saw the devastation of war. Only the churches stood standing out of the rubble. Wilt was amazed by the resilience of the German civilians because they rebuilt their communities. After the war, Nuremberg was a beehive of activity with the Nuremberg trials taking place and all the different countries with their Armies in Europe. Wilt helped create a non-commissioned officers’ club. There was an ammunition dump that exploded and caused a massive blowback that tore down his apartment door. He was then assigned to the 531st Ordnance Heavy Maintenance Company and sent to Nuremberg, Germany as part of the occupying force. He ran a motor pool while he was there and was responsible for about a hundred Germans who worked as mechanics in the motor pool. He befriended a Native American who worked in the motor pool. He liked to drink a lot, so when he got drunk, he would always find Wilt for help. Wilt was sent to Frankfurt [Annotator’s Note: Frankfurt, Germany] to train to be an instructor. During this week, he trained with officers and other military personnel that were well above him in rank. After the training was complete, the class was given a ride down on the Rhine River on Hitler’s [Annotator's Note: German dictator Adolf Hitler] private yacht with drinks and food. [Annotator’s Note: A phone rings in the background at 0:27:16.000.] He returned to Nuremberg and began giving lectures to the troops as he was taught in his training.

While he serving occupation duty in Nuremburg, Germany, Jack Wilt accrued enough points [Annotator's Note: a point system was devised based on a number of factors that determined when American servicemen serving overseas could return home] to be able to go home. Before he made his way home, he and a friend took a furlough [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time] to Switzerland which he enjoyed. He returned to the United States and went to Fort Dix, New Jersey where he was discharged in 1947. HE then returned home to Kent, Ohio. Wilt found a night job as an orderly and he graduated from Kent State University in 1951 with a degree in agriculture. There was an incident where Wilt was in a middle of two guys about to shoot each other. He met some Polish officers that kept offering him steins to drink.

Jack Wilt was selected for the Honor Flight Program [Annotator's Note: a national network of independent Hubs working together to honor our nation's veterans with an all-expenses paid trip to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to visit the war memorials]. It was the most humbling experience he ever had. He enjoyed the trip and received letters from family and friends.