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2Lt. Herbert Wildman

Herbert Wildman was born in Connecticut in 1915. After high school he decided to pursue quite an interesting career – in the wine and spirits industry. To gain some experience, he spent 1933 abroad, traveling all across Germany and England to network with the various merchants and learn the trade in Europe. Most of this time however was spent traveling through the various wine-producing regions of France, and he gained fluency in the language by the time he returned home.

He then took a job with Bellows & Company, settling in New York and eventually becoming the sales manager for the state and later the company’s senior warehouse manager, overseeing over $400,000 (roughly $9M today) of imported liquor at any given time. Along the way he married, along with joining the New York National Guard. There he earned a commission, eventually reaching the rank of Captain and even commanding a cavalry company at the age of twenty-six.

Life was looking extremely promising for the young man, although he no doubt kept a closer eye on the war raging in Europe than most, as it clearly began affecting his imports.