Warren Schmitt was born in October 1925 in New Orleans, Louisiana. His father worked as a mechanic for Linde Air Products, which produced breathing oxygen for hospitals and acetylene for welding. As a result of his father being sent to a variety of locations for his work, he had lived in nine different places by the time he entered high school. He attended high school in Birmingham, Alabama and shortly after he turned 18 in October 1943, he received his draft notice. Wanting to have some say in his future, he volunteered for the Army Air Corps, a decision due in part to his older brother who had volunteered after the Pearl Harbor attack and had become an Air Corps pilot. He completed basic training in Miami Beach, Florida, and while home on furlough afterwards met his future wife while on a double-date with another Birmingham airman whom he met while in training. He recalls very vividly when he first heard of the attack on Pearl Harbor. He and his father were sitting in a car outside their church when they heard the news on the radio. They were shocked. The family was naturally apprehensive about his brother when he volunteered, but they understood his desire to do his part in the war. Schmitt maintained an awareness of the war as it progressed, particularly as he approached his 18th birthday since he knew he would then become draft eligible. Aside from the rationing of a variety of goods that took place, he recalls that there wasn't a lot of impact to his life after the war began. He and his family were also naturally concerned about his brother in the service. Via newspapers and the Movietone News that always preceded the motion pictures he attended, he stayed abreast of the war's developments. While in basic training, he applied for pilot training, but was not accepted. Two choices were offered him: aircrew gunner, or ground maintenance. Having always wanted to fly, he chose aircrew gunner.

Upon reaching his 18th birthday in October, 1943, Warren Schmitt volunteered for the Army Air Corps. During his initial training, he chose to become an aircrew gunner. He was first sent to Harlingen, Texas, where he learned the mechanics of airborne gunnery like how to lead a target. He was also taught the workings of the .50 caliber machine gun that he would operate on his aircraft. Gunners were expected to be able to disassemble and then reassemble their guns while wearing gloves and being blindfolded to account for the cold temperatures at altitude and the possibility of flying at night. Once he completed this training, he was sent to Tonopah, Nevada, where he met his permanent crew and began transition training to fly the B-24 Liberator [Annotator's Note: Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber]. He describes the basic crew composition and relates that he got along well with the entire crew from the outset. The crew ranged in age from 18 to 28, with the pilot being the oldest. They spent three months at Tonopah, where they practiced strafing runs and formation flying. He describes one flight where at the conclusion of their strafing training they were directed to join a formation already in flight. As they were positioning themselves, they collided with another B-24 who had been directed into the same position. Both aircraft fell into steep dives, and he and the other gunners were pinned to the fuselage. They had been in the waist area of the aircraft since they had completed their strafing. The pilot recovered the aircraft, but they were unable to inform him of the damage the aircraft had taken in the collision, specifically that one of the vertical stabilizers had been shorn off. The gunners prepared to bail out, but their training dictated that, even in combat, they were to wait for the pilot to instruct them to do so. Since the call didn't come, they didn't bail out. Both aircraft eventually landed safely. Upon the completion of their training, the crew went to Hampton, Virginia, where they boarded a Liberty ship bound for Marseille, France. He describes the transit across as "terrible," with the crew spending most of the time seasick. They arrived in December 1944 and had to wait two weeks for another ship to take them to Naples, Italy. While they awaited transportation, they were living in pup tents on the street. Once they made it to Naples, they were taken by truck to Foggia, Italy, outside of which was the small town of Cerignola, Italy, where they were assigned to the 745th Bombardment Squadron, 456th Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force. They remained there until the German surrender in May 1945.

[Annotator's Note: Warren Schmitt served in the US Army Air Forces as a gunner on a Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber in the 745th Bombardment Squadron, 456th Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force based in Cerignola, Italy.] From the time of their arrival in December 1944 until the German surrender in May 1945, they flew 13 missions. He recalls being homesick at first since this was the first time he had been away from home. The missions they flew were against targets in the Po Valley of northern Italy, the former Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Germany. Typical targets included railroad marshaling yards, bridges, and factories. He discusses one particular mission where the aircraft was hit by flak [Annotator's Note: abbreviation of the German Fliegerabwehrkanone, "aircraft defense cannon"] and one of the engines had to be feathered. It was during this flight that both he and his copilot were wounded, but neither seriously. He describes himself as being very apprehensive on his first mission, but he eventually got used to it. When the aircraft got hit by flak, it was a startling sound. In terms of protection, the crew had flak suits, which consisted of a vest in which metal plates had been sewn. Some gunners lined their turrets with them as opposed to wearing them. Their flight schedule was irregular and in their down time between missions they played cards and ball. The local town [Annotator's Note: Cerignola, Italy] was very small and had no activities of interest. They occasionally fashioned gifts for their girlfriends out of spare plexiglass, but otherwise the existence was quite boring. They didn't interact much with the other aircrews, save for the mission briefings that they all attended prior to flying.

When the war ended, Warren Schmitt remained in Italy until July [Annotator's Note: July 1945] when they were told to fly a B-24 [Annotator's Note: Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber] back to the United States. He and the crew flew first to Marrakesh, Morocco and then on to the Azores for refueling before arriving at their destination of Bangor, Maine. In Maine, the crew disestablished and those who did not have enough points for immediate discharge were offered their choice of duty locations. Schmitt chose Maxwell Field, Alabama as it was the nearest location to Birmingham [Annotator's Note: the location from which he had entered the service]. He recalls returning to the United States as a very happy time. He remained at Maxwell as a supply sergeant until 6 January 1946 when he was discharged. He wanted to take advantage of the G.I. Bill and go to college, but he had not yet graduated high school when he entered the service, so he initially went back to his high school. After he was told about the government-offered General Educational Development exam, he took it and passed. He then went to Birmingham Southern College for a year and a half before transferring to the University of Alabama and completing a degree in journalism. He wanted to be a newspaper reporter, but the local newspaper only had jobs in advertising, so he started there. He was laid off when the newspaper was sold, so he got a job as a technical writer, during which he learned about the nascent space program in nearby Huntsville, Alabama. He eventually was hired as a technical writer by Teledyne Brown Engineering where he spent almost 30 years and continued to work part-time after retirement in 1991. He traveled extensively both in the United States and overseas, and he and his wife were active in the local church choir. He recalls his most memorable experience in the war as the missions themselves, and how the crew was a tight-knit group. He felt that the attack on Pearl Harbor was a deceitful act and that everyone in the country felt that they had a responsibility to fight against such aggression. He found his service very meaningful, particular on those occasions where he gathers with other veterans such as himself. The fellowship and camaraderie are strong. He comments that it's important to remember the sacrifice brought on by the war, especially those who did not return. He opines that there is only so much that you can learn by reading a book; it's important to hear firsthand experiences from the war.