Throughout Mid-Missouri, James DeWesplore has often been seen wearing the sharp uniform of the VFW Honor Guard, supporting veterans' funerals and other patriotic events.
His participation in this group, he said, has been inspired by his lengthy career in the U.S. Army Reserve and Missouri National Guard, and affords him a means through which he can give back to the community.
Raised on a farm in the Moreau Bottoms on Tanner Bridge Road, DeWesplore attended St. Peter High School in Jefferson City through the 11th grade, leaving school early when his father died unexpectedly.
"My mother sold off half the farm two years later, so I decided to go get myself a job," he recalled. "The next several years, I worked for machinery dealers in the area and then for the Arthur W. Ellis Tire Company for about five years," he added.
In April 1957, he received his draft notice and reported to St. Louis for a physical but was not inducted into the military at that time. On the bus trip back to Jefferson City, DeWesplore heard other passengers speaking about the reserves.
"I had never heard of the reserves, and when I got back to town, I went to the post office to visit the recruiter and told him about my physical and that I had not been inducted yet," he said. "The recruiter said that he could sign me up in the Reserves and if I got a call to duty, he would take care of it."
He added, "I signed up and the next day I got the call to duty ... and the recruiter took care of it like he said!"
Prior to leaving for his initial training, DeWesplore married his fiancée, Alice Stockman, on June 15, 1957. The following month, the 23-year-old enlistee traveled to Fort Leonard Wood for two months of basic combat training. From there, he was sent to Fort Carson, Colorado, for artillery training.
"That's where I learned basic artillery on the 105mm howitzers that were towed behind the 'deuce and a half trucks' (21/2-ton cargo vehicles)," he said. "I was at Fort Carson for about four months, and we did mostly field duty up in the Cheyenne Mountains."
When returning to Missouri in early 1958, he began drilling with the 816th Field Artillery -- a unit under the command of Robert Herman and housed in a building on Madison Street in Jefferson City above the telephone company. Shortly thereafter, the unit moved to a new facility on Missouri Boulevard, which was at the time U.S. Highway 50.
In his full-time employment, DeWesplore worked for the Raithel Implement Company in Jefferson City. After this business closed, he was hired by OK Rubber Welders, working in the tire shop recapping tires and performing front-end alignments.
"The Heisinger Armory and Reserve Center was built on Tanner Bridge Road in the early 1960s, and we began training out of there," he recalled. "We started out as an 8-inch towed howitzer unit designated as the 4th Howitzer Battalion of the 84th Field Artillery."
He continued, "Paul Sestak became the commander, and they later changed us to a self-propelled 8-inch howitzer battery. We trained on those until 1965, and that's when the unit was deactivated."
It was around this time that both DeWesplore and a fellow soldier, Paul LePage, made the decision to enlist in the Missouri National Guard. He served the next two years in the National Guard and achieved the rank of E-7 while working as a brigade postmaster.
In 1967, he received a call from Robb Monroe, who was not only an engineer with the state highway department, but an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. He visited with both DeWesplore and LePage, encouraging them to consider re-enlisting in the Reserves.
"We decided to go back to the Army Reserve and were part of 3rd Battalion, 75th Artillery, and were housed back at the Heisinger Armory in Jefferson City," he said.
"C Battery, 3rd Battalion, 75th Artillery was transferred last Jan. 27 from St. Joseph to Jefferson City," reported the Jefferson City Post-Tribune on June 20, 1968. "Originally an army unit, C Battery was formed in October 1918 in Camp Sheridan, Alabama."
The newspaper added, "In July 1946, the battery was transferred to the Army Reserve."
He remained with the battery until 1985, at which point he retired at the rank of first sergeant with 28 years of total military service. In his full-time employment, he went on to become a store manager of tire companies in Columbia and Jefferson City, eventually retiring with 41 years in the industry.
The father of two sons, DeWesplore said he continues to embrace moments to pay tribute to fallen veterans as a member of the VFW Honor Guard. The opportunity to provide these final honors stems from his desire to continue to be of service to his nation and community.
Since the late 1990s, he has also been involved with the American Legion and for many years serve as president of the Home Association, the group responsible for the post buildings, maintenance and hiring of staff.
"There are times I have felt like I didn't do enough for my country, which is why I have been active with the Honor Guard and the American Legion," he said.
"But I also enjoyed everything about being in the service and really like shooting those weapons ... the smell of that burnt powder," he added with a grin.
"I was so fortunate to have been able to serve for so many years and to have worked with so many great people along the way," he said.
Jeremy P. Ämick is an author/historian and recently penned the book "Hidden History of Cole County."
