The Front - Staff Sergeant Wilton Quant

Just seven months out of high school--and only 17 years of age, Wilton (the 3rd oldest of the four Quant brothers from New London, Wisconsin) gets drafted into the United States Army unexpectedly. After traveling to various army stations around the U.S., for thoroughly intense and vigorous training, he finds himself fighting on the front lines in Germany against Nazis. He feels a tremendous amount of guilt for having literally been forced to kill teenage German soldiers (via rifle, machine gun, hand grenades, and even flame throwers. Being the teenager that he himself is, he understandably feels terrible for having taken the lives of other kids his own age. After getting injured multiple times fighting in foxholes and trenches, he finds himself in multiple army hospitals (even at the famed Battle of the Bulge). Interestingly, he brings up some very surprising thoughts and opinions about what was happening during his face-to-face fighting with the Nazis as well--as the times he spent in the army hospitals. Wilton feels sympathy for the POW's that he shot, captured, and took into custody. Throughout the story, he also shares some sarcastic feelings about the way battles were being reported by the press as well as some overly glamorized (and often thoroughly embellished) stories that other soldiers tell about their experiences fighting against Hitler's army. He was there. He lived it, and never once talked about his experiences until 53 years after World War II had ended, and I asked him to write down these memoirs from his very first day serving in the United States Army until his very last. Episode 2 of the “Four Brothers of World War II” podcast is the bitter, sad, and disturbingly true story of Staff Sargent, Wilton Quant told for the first and only time in his entire life. A must listen episode for sure. - David Whitney, Ph.D.