WWII veteran, longtime educator to mark 100th birthday

FOLLANSBEE -- Bill Schwertfeger has lived a life of ups and downs, including risks to his life during World War II and heroic actions that led to his being awarded the Bronze Star, but he considers himself fortunate.

Looking forward to his 100th birthday on Tuesday, Schwertfeger joked that if he had known he would live as long as he has, "I would have taken better care of myself."

But in a more serious tone, he said, "I've had good luck and good health."

Born on Feb. 13, 1924, one of two sons of Jack and Blanche Schwertfeger, he recalled his father served as Follansbee police chief for 20 years while also selling land, gas pumps and other equipment for service stations that opened in and around the city.

"He was quite a salesman. He could sell horse manure to a farmer, but he loved the police work most of all," said Schwertfeger.

He remembered his older brother -- Lloyd, known by many friends as "Turf" -- spending their childhood days playing football in the street and swimming at the local pool, an above-ground structure later replaced by the current pool at Follansbee Park.

"You kind of entertained yourself when school was out," he said, while adding, "Follansbee has been good, as I look back, in providing things for kids to do."

Schwertfeger noted while he was in high school, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and a patriotic fervor swept the country, with everyone wishing to support the war effort.

Many young men had abandoned their educations to serve their country, while the local school board determined that members of his class bound for the military had earned sufficient credits to receive their diplomas, he said.

"A lot of friends a year older than me were getting draft notices. I couldn't wait, so I volunteered," he said.

Schwertfeger said as a boy, he had been fascinated with airplanes and would run out to see any aircraft that happened to pass overhead.

Still interested in flying as a teen, he enlisted in 1943 in the Army in hopes of being accepted into its Air Corps, a forerunner of the Air Force.

Instead Schwertfeger found himself in Company M of the 168th Infantry Regiment and among troops deployed to Italy and participating in the Battle of Monte Cassino, Battle of Anzio and liberation of Nazi occupied Rome.

Schwertfeger's family members noted that in public and in private, he's often joked about his wartime experiences. For example, he's remarked that witnessing a barrage of mortar shells was like "being at a fireworks display, only you're on the ground in the middle of it" or crossing a minefield "makes things pucker you didn't know could pucker."

But he's also acknowledged the fear he felt at such times, fear he said was as real as the snow-covered ground he and the other soldiers trudged through as they made their way along mountainous areas of Italy.

Schwertfeger noted there were passwords that were exchanged among Allied soldiers on patrols when they encountered each other in darkness, to avoid being mistaken for the enemy and fired upon.

But he was commended for his bravery on Feb. 5, 1945, when following an enemy attack, he and another soldier crawled 100 yards, amidst artillery fire, to aid a wounded comrade.

Schwertfeger said he'd been manning a machine gun when he heard the man crying for help.

"He got hit and he was screaming. When you hear a man screaming for help, it's kind of hard not to help," he said.

The citation notes Schwertfeger and another soldier were able to move the wounded man to shelter, administer first aid and call for help, actions that saved his life.

Of his military experience, he said, "It changed a boy into a man in this case."

But Schwertfeger said he often thought of home and the concerns of his mother for him and his brother, who was serving in the Navy at the same time.

"I'm sure all mothers suffered and worried. I give them a lot of credit. The things they loved most were over there and being shot at," he said.

Honorably discharged as a sergeant, Schwertfeger returned to his hometown, where he worked for a while, pumping gas at service stations and painting houses, until he realized he needed something more.

"I came to realize the importance of education," he said, noting he went on to earn a bachelor's degree at the then-West Liberty State College and a master's degree through West Virginia University while pursuing what would be a 32-year career in education.

In those early days, he also fulfilled his dream of flying, earning a pilot's license from the owner of a Piper Cub, a two-seater aircraft kept at a small airport that once existed near Three Springs Drive in Weirton.

Schwertfeger recalled he had to fly from Weirton to Zanesville to qualify for the license.

"I was quite proud of that," he said, adding, "I never could afford to rent a plane, so I would wash planes in exchange for flight time."

Schwertfeger also wed the former Mary Louise Barrows, with whom he would share a 65-year marriage and raise two sons, John and Mark.

Of Mary, who died in 2019, he said, "I miss her quite a bit."

Schwertfeger's career in education brought him to many schools on both sides of the Ohio River. He taught at Colliers and Hooverson Heights schools before becoming a principal at Stark and Wintersville elementary schools and finally, an instructional supervisor for the Edison Local School District.

He said the last position involved visiting many schools and working with principals and teachers to implement new curricula.

"I met a lot of nice people," said Schwertfeger.

Over the years, he also had two stints on Follansbee Council, filling the council at large seat first and later, representing the Third Ward.

In 2014 he was named the Brooke County Veterans Memorial Park Foundation's Veteran of the Year, which led to invitations to speak at Veterans Day services and in schools, including his grandson's wife's class at Brooke High School.

Schwertfeger said when asked about his military experience, he shares the good and the bad.

Asked how he feels about receiving such attention, he said, "I'm favorably impressed when people remember (veterans.) They thank you for your service. It means a lot."

Summing up his life, Schwertfeger said, "Overall I can't complain. I've been fortunate. I've had a wonderful life -- raised two boys, who have been successful. I have great-grandchildren and a great-grandchild. I don't know what more you can ask."