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John Nicholas Weiler was the youngest of seven children born to John
and Laura Weiler on November 12, 1930 in Valley City, ND. The
Weilers were farmers before John’s father moved the family to
Lamoure, ND, where he served several terms as county auditor. John
graduated from Lamoure High School in 1948 and enlisted in the Army
in January 1949. After basic training and an appointment from North
Dakota Senator Milton Young, he attended the USMA Preparatory School
at Stewart Field, NY and entered West Point on July 5, 1950.
At
West Point, John was a Catholic Chapel Acolyte and a member of the
German Club, Camera Club, Handball Club, English Seminar, and Cadet
Debate Council. He earned his grades the hard way, by studying. When
not studying or playing some kind of sport, he could be found curled
up on his folded World War II mattress or “brown boy” comforter and
was known as a true “sack artist.” He was very athletic, playing
tennis, handball, swimming, and coaching his company basketball team.
With his wiry frame, he could run circles around most of his
opponents. He was serious about his Catholic faith, loved to discuss
subjects of a spiritual nature, and earned the nickname ‘The
Philosopher.’
After graduating from West Point ranked a respectable 309 out of his
class of 633, John and his one and only, Rosemary Moscato, were
married on June 10, 1954 in Bellport, Long Island, NY and began an
18-year journey of a United States Air Force family.
John served initially as a special investigations officer at Lowry
Air Force Base (AFB), CO, then as a criminal investigations officer,
HQ, U.S. Air Force Europe at Rhine-Main Air Base in Germany, where,
as a first lieutenant, he was recognized as “a highly aggressive,
enthusiastic, and versatile young officer who has developed a degree
of job knowledge and skill in a complex field of endeavor, far
beyond the expectations for an officer of his rank and experience.”
John and Rosemary had their first child, a daughter, in Wiesbaden.
After being promoted to captain, John’s next assignment involved
training as a B-52 navigator at Connally AFB near Waco, TX.
The Weilers were briefly stationed at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, MS,
where John had his second daughter, followed shortly thereafter by
the birth of his first son while he was stationed at Westover AFB in
Massachusetts. There, he completed Electronic Warfare Officer
training and received an assignment to the Strategic Air Command,
306th Bomb Squadron at McCoy AFB, FL, where his training and duty
performance was described by his superiors as “among the top of the
very fine officer category.” This led to his selection to attend
George Washington University in Washington, DC, where he was
described as “clearly outstanding” in his study of graduate
engineering management. John and Rosemary had their youngest son
while stationed in Florida. From Florida, John was stationed in
Washington, Arizona, Ohio, and South Dakota.
John was promoted to major on June 4, 1968 and to lieutenant colonel
on March 1, 1971. He was in foreign service in 1955-58, and 1966-67.
He flew more than 105 combat missions and logged 345 combat hours,
earning the Air Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal and the
Distinguished Flying Cross Medal twice, once for heroism and once
for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight.
In
April 1972, John suffered a hemorrhagic stroke at Ellsworth AFB, SD.
He was flown to Wright Patterson AFB, OH for treatment, where he
passed away at 42 years of age.
When John was young, he wrote a poem for his uncle, who also passed
away at a young age:
In
Memory of My Uncle (Nicholas Michael Weiler, 1909-1959)
By
John (Jack) N. Weiler
Hear the bells, a death they knell
The death of a man who lived life well.
So
young he was to enter death’s court
But a life when full is never short.
Think not of death, only of sleep
Pray not for the dead, but for those who
weep.
This I know, for a life lived well
There is only heaven, there is no hell.
John was a very devoted husband and father who was survived by his
wife, two daughters and two sons. Rosemary Weiler moved the family
from Ellsworth AFB to Glendale, AZ, as was planned for John’s
retirement.
John’s memory is kept alive, as is his bride’s, by their adult
children and now grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who continue
to learn, receive console, and to be blessed from lives well lived.
John’s sons both have children named for him. Rosemary Weiler never
remarried and passed away 42 years later on June 16, 2014 and is
buried with John at West Point Cemetery.
—
Andrew A. Weiler
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