Wilke, a Madison, Wis., native, describes his World War II service as a tank mechanic with the 529th Ordnance. Wilke talks about going to school with Orson Welles when he was in grade school. He mentions he got his BA from the University of Wisconsin in 1938 and that he worked nights for the Gisholt Machine Company so he could earn money to stay in law school. Wilke talks about his job at Gisholt being considered essential employment and tells of the work speed-up that occurred following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He states that he was in his late twenties before he went into the service. He describes basic training at Mineral Wells (Texas), heavy maintenance tank training at Bowie (Texas), and civilian tank-engine school at Flint and Detroit (Michigan). He provides great detail about light tanks and medium tanks. Wilke mentions that he was given a series of IQ tests and his grade was 159 out of a perfect grade of 160 in the mechanical aptitude test. He comments about holding tank maneuvers in Leesville (Louisiana) and how they surprised and captured a platoon that was on maneuvers too. He touches upon setting up a prisoner of war camp in Oran (Algeria) on a place called the Polo Grounds. Wilke states that he fixed Sherman-like tanks and he was involved with tank convoys from North Africa to Sicily. He characterizes Patton as the best soldier that he knew of during World War II. He talks about how the 5th Army, under Patton's leadership, forced the liberation of Sicily. Wilke describes the storm boats the 529th heavy maintenance tank ordnance built. He tells how the infantry were able to be towed behind the tanks. Because the enemy couldn't see the storm boats, the Americans could get close enough to the bunkers to throw hand grenades into the "pillbox," and the Germans would surrender. Wilke relates that his captain and sergeant received a Certificate of Merit for the idea of the storm boat. He touches upon his homecoming to Madison just before Christmas.
