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John Alfred Wesner, III was born in Tulare, CA, on 15 Dec
1930, the son of John A. and Thelma Wesner. In 1932, the family moved to
Windsor, MO, (population 3,000+) where his grandfather and father owned and
operated a drug store. John worked there his high school years and has said, “I
did not enjoy it.”
Windsor was a railroad town, and John and his sixth grade buddies
liked to play in the rail yards and ride around in cabooses and locomotives when
freight cars were being switched. He loved the trains, and his goal when he grew
up was to be a train conductor. During World War II, he would meet troop trains
going through town and pass out leftover Esquire magazines from the drug store
to the soldiers. He liked uniforms, and when he learned that the Army had its
own railroad system, he decided that the Army’s Transportation Corps was the
place for him. John’s love of reading began at an early age and he could always
be found engaged in a biography, a book on Civil War battles or one on war
heroes. He was editor of the class yearbook and graduated from Windsor High
School in 1948.
John attended Westminister College in Fulton, MO, for a year,
took Bible studies and while there decided to become a Methodist minister. He
did become an associate minister, licensed by the Methodist church, with the
authority to marry, bury and baptize but not administer Holy Communion.
John received his appointment to West Point from Congressman
Marion T. Bennett and in July 1949 entered with the Class of ’53. In his words,
he was “very unhappy, they obviously didn’t like me the way I was and wanted to
change me.” He admitted that he “bucked the system” and spent many hours on the
area walking punishment tours. At the end of Plebe year, he failed the physical
aptitude test, returned to Windsor, and that summer “grew up.” Realizing what he
had lost, he took on an exercise program to build up his strength. Having passed
all his academic subjects Plebe year, he was eligible to re-take the physical
test. He returned to West Point, passed the test and was admitted back into the
Corps in December 1950, joining the Class of ’54.
John immediately was embraced by his new classmates in Company
G-2. He was friendly, a whiz at math and any subject with numbers, the
personification of “patience” and always ready to help someone. He soon was
known as “The Sage.” Many a goat (and some hives) in G-2 were rescued by
The Sage. Over the years to graduation he guided, coached, cajoled and pushed a
lot of classmates over the 2.0 hump. Guys in G-2 planning on getting married
right after graduation used to tease The Sage, saying they were short on funds
and asked him if he would conduct their marriages pro bono. On graduation, John
entered the Air Force.
John had his primary pilot training flying PA-18s and T-6s in
Bartow, FL, followed by training with B-25s at Vance AFB, Enid, OK, and B-29s at
Randolph AFB, San Antonio, TX. Following training on B-47s at Forbes AFB, KS, he
was assigned for three years to the 38th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron. When
deployed to Mildenhall, England, in 1957, he flew electronic reconnaissance
missions into the Baltic area, West Germany, and the Black Sea area, and was
awarded the Air Medal. When back at Forbes AFB, he applied to teach at the Air
Force Academy and was accepted.
John was assigned to the Air Force Institute of Technology and
attended the University of Nebraska, where in 1960 he was awarded a master’s
degree in electrical engineering. He instructed at the Air Force Academy in the
Department of Electrical Engineering during 1960–64, the last year as associate
professor. While there, he became a registered professional engineer in the
state of Colorado. From the Academy, John was assigned to Hickam AFB in Hawaii,
1964–68, flying C-124s and receiving the Meritorious Service Medal. He then was
assigned to Tan Son Nhut in Vietnam as a controller in the division command
post, controlling C-123s.
When he had time off, he often rode around in 123s to familiarize
himself with the airfields he was sending planes into. For his service in
Vietnam, he received a Meritorious Service Medal.
His last tour was with the Air Force Systems Command headquarters
at Andrews AFB. He retired in 1979 and in 1981 earned a master’s degree in
education at American University in Washington, DC. He worked eight years for
AMAF Industries, a small engineering company with FAA contracts. He then went
back to school to become certified to teach physics in the public school system,
and was a high school physics teacher, 1989–94, at La Reine High School in
Suitland, MD. With his natural bent to be helpful to others, John then spent
some years as a volunteer in an elementary school, enjoying his work with
children.
John was a man whose focus was never personal gain. In his own
words, he hoped to get through life without leaving footprints on others to get
ahead. Yet, in his quiet, somewhat introverted manner, he leaves behind no
footprints but a trail of great feelings, good deeds, and good memories for
those lucky enough to have known him
The Sage died 2 Jan 2011, at his home in Carlisle, PA. He is
survived by his wife Ann. From an earlier marriage, he is survived by his
daughters Valerie and Adrienne and was predeceased by a son, John IV.
He has said, “The accomplishments I’m most proud of are those
where I have helped someone without being asked.”
For an epitaph John said he would like …"Here lay a man who loved
life and lived through loving."
—Dave “Bucky” Harris
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