Warren C. Wilt died April 8, 2022 at St. Luke’s Hospice House in Kansas City, MO. He was born November 5, 1922 in Plevna; the seventh child of Harry and Edna Clement Wilt.
Orphaned at the age of two, Warren traveled between homes and depended upon the kindness of strangers for most of his childhood. By the age of seven, he was sleeping on barn floors and doing manual labor before and after school for his room and board. He often stated that the army was his first “real” home because he finally “felt at peace in knowing what tomorrow held.” This statement is especially poignant coming from a man who experienced, firsthand, the atrocities of a major war and the accompanying uncertainties.
Warren, along with three of his brothers, served in the military during WW II. Warren enlisted in the Army in 1943, and was sent to Fort Bragg, North Carolina to begin training as a paratrooper. He was initially in the Army Air Corps, but soon after enlistment he volunteered for the airborne. After passing the arduous and elite program, he shipped off to England where he served with the 82nd Airborne, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR). He participated in the D-Day Normandy Assault on June 6, 1944, as a private in Company H of the 508th PIR; landing on Picauville, France (June 6, 1944). Picauville was one of the first towns liberated by Allied forces following the Normandy landings. On June 26, 1945, he was hit by a German mortar round leaving him with multiple wounds, requiring hospitalization for months. After recovering from the injuries, he returned to the front lines for the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium, as a Private First Class (Pfc) in Company G, where his specialties were Bazooka Gunner and Radio Operator. That winter was one of the coldest in Europe, and Warren suffered from frostbite and was again wounded on January 7, 1945, from shrapnel that hit his left arm and shoulder. Fragments from this blast hit a small prayer book that was tucked away in his left breast pocket, directly over his heart; protecting him from the flying shrapnel. The piece of metal went three-fourths through the small book, stopping on the page where the words were “I will protect you.” He recovered from these injuries and was assigned to a 713th Military Police (MP) Battalion, and was stationed in post-war Berlin where he served on the security detail for President Truman during the Potsdam Conference. Following the surrender of Germany, Warren was discharged December 24, 1945, and made his way back to Kansas on Christmas Day. Warren was awarded the Parachutist Wings and the Combat Infantryman Badge; the Bronze Star Medal; Purple Heart Medal; Victory Medal; European Theater Medal with Bronze Arrowhead; Distinguished Unit Citation; and a France Croix De Guerre for his service during the D-Day invasion.
His return from the war brought an immediate proposal to his high school sweetheart, Charlyne Bridgeman, and the two were married in the Abbyville Methodist Church on August 8, 1946. They were married for almost 72 years, had four children and lived most of their married life in Abbyville. Warren retired from Singleton-Joyce after 31 years and opened his own mechanic shop, working there until his retirement in 2012 at the age of 89. Warren could fix, build or remake just about anything that needed a repair; even creating and building unique tools for specific jobs. He made much of the furniture in the household, and was constantly remodeling his long-time cherished family home.
Warren moved to Overland Park, after the death of Charlyne in 2018. He lived independently, but had the constant attention and care of his youngest daughter, Judy, and her husband, John. They lovingly cared for him until his death.
Warren is survived by: son, Brad Wilt (Penny) of Hutchinson; daughter, Dr. Susan Holsapple (Dr. James Holsapple) of Boston, MA.; daughter, Judy Polson (John Polson) of Overland Park; grandchildren, Emily Bush, Nicholas Holsapple, Erica York, Zachary Wilt, Zachary Polson, Lucas Polson, Sophie Polson; and five great grandchildren. Warren was preceded in death by his parents; six siblings; wife, Charlyne; son, Nolan; and grandchildren, Haley and David Wilt.
Burial arrangements pending.