David A. Waite: More Than a Veteran

When we think of WWII veterans we think of people that fought overseas, or lost their lives at Pearl Harbor. What we typically forget about is the soldiers who stayed on American Soil. David A. Waite was the middle child of three brothers fought in the war. David joined the war effort in 1942, at the age of 19 as a member of the Air Corps. David would not go overseas during the war. However, that does not mean that his time in the military was uneventful and meaningless. David's life after the war is just as interesting as his life during. David was not an average WWII veteran, the more you read I'm sure you will have to agree.

David A Waite was born on January 13th, 1923. His parents are John Howard Waite, and Madeline A. Waite. John Howard Waite was the president of the Waukesha Cement and Tile Co. that started in 1914. David was the middle child of three sons that John and Madeline had. They lived at 1125 E Broadway Street, in Waukesha, Wisconsin. David and his brothers all enlisted to join the war effort, David was the first to join in 1942. He joined the Air Corps where he would would rise through the ranks and become a Lt.

David A Waite did not go overseas during the war; however, he was stationed many places across the United States. One of which was at the newest and largest air corps technical school of the army at that time in Sheppard Field, Texas. Another place he was stationed at was the bombardier training school in Denning, NM. This is where Waite was stationed when he married his first wife Joanne Shingler on September 16th, 1944. Joanne would move to New Mexico to be with her husband. On October 1st, 1945, David A Waite was discharged from his duties and He and Joanne moved back to Waukesha to continue their lives.

David A Waite and his wife Joanne returned home and were functioning members of society. Joanne was an active member in the service club and of the YWCA. David A Waite was a salesman at his father's company. On March 5th, 1953, Joanne was in a fatal car accident. She left behind her husband with two children, Judith was 5 years old, and Jeffrey 2.5 years old. Also, Joanne was 8 months pregnant with another child when she passed away in the accident.

Two years later, David A Waite remarried to Carol Moore on October 8th, 1955. David and Carol would have 2 more children named Dan and Elizabeth. Dan was born in 1956, and Elizabeth in 1965. In 1965, David and Carol decided to adopt Elizabeth after she was just two months old. Carol became a reporter for the Waukesha Daily Freeman, while David was still a sales manager at the Tile Co. He was also on the board of directors at the chambers of commerce and of the YMCA. As well as the Vice President of the Waukesha Optimist club. Later on, David Waite would become the President of the Waukesha Cement and Tile Co. after his father passed away in 1961. In 1971, David became president of the American Conference Pipe Association. David was the president of the company until they sold to a Minnesota firm in 1973.

David’s son Jeffrey Waite graduated from Kettle Moraine high school in 1968. He joined the Marine Corps in December of 1969. In 1973 he was a Sgt. On duty at the Marine Corps Air Station in New River, NC. Married to Jillayne living in Pewaukee. David’s daughter Judith Waite graduated from UW Madison in 1969. She would do graduate work in Paris and work for 3 years as a voluntary teacher in the Peace Corps in Africa. She joined the staff of the Crossroads of Africa in New York. David's younger kids did not have a lot of information about them. However, Dan attended University Lake School. David A Waite passed away at the age of 69 in March of 1992. His wife Carol would continue to live until 2004.

David A Waite lived a life different from what we expect from most veterans in WWII. Waite’s life after the war was just as important and impactful as his life during the war. David is a prime example of not assuming that a veteran's life is just about the war they fought in. David shows us that we have to look at veterans live's outside of war to try to understand who they were.

"Cement Tile, Culvert Co. Sold to Minnesota Firm." Waukesha Daily Freeman (Waukesha) February 21st, 1973. 113 ed, 277 sec, 1-1. From Newspapers.com. https://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/83934748/?terms=David%20Waite&pqsid=YioSvVY7f2sKn2-IQk3o0w%3A101339%3A411852717&match=1 (accessed March 12, 2023).

"Service Notes." Waukesha Daily Freeman (Waukesha) January 29th, 1973. 113 ed, 257 sec, 11-11. From Newspapers.com. https://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/83874381/?terms=David%20Waite&pqsid=YioSvVY7f2sKn2-IQk3o0w%3A101339%3A411852717&match=3 (accessed March 12, 2023).

"Lt. David Waite Will Claim Joanne Shingler as Bride In Late Afternoon Nuptial Rite at Presbyterian Church ." Waukesha Daily Freeman (Waukesha) September 20th, 1944. 86 ed, 38 sec, 3-3. Newspapers.com. https://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/74068558/?terms=David%20Waite&pqsid=YioSvVY7f2sKn2-IQk3o0w%3A1153219%3A821938328&match=8 (accessed March 12, 2023).

"Joanne Shingler Sets Sept. 16th, as Day of Wedding." Waukesha Daily Freeman (Waukesha) September 6th, 1944. 86 ed, 36 sec, 2-2. Newspapers.com. https://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/74068450/?terms=David%20Waite&pqsid=YioSvVY7f2sKn2-IQk3o0w%3A1153219%3A821938328&match=1 (accessed March 12, 2023).

"Miss Carol Moore Wed to David A. Waite Saturday." Waukesha Daily Freeman (Waukesha) October 10th, 1955. 34 ed, 289 sec, 5-5. Newspapers.com. https://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/23551008/?terms=David%20Waite&pqsid=YioSvVY7f2sKn2-IQk3o0w%3A2233440%3A967459099&match=2 (accessed March 12, 2023).

"Clubs and People." Waukesha Daily Freeman (Waukesha) June 24th, 1975. 116 ed, 74 sec, 5-5. Newspapers.com. https://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/84007301/?terms=David%20Waite&pqsid=YioSvVY7f2sKn2-IQk3o0w%3A2233440%3A967459099&match=1 (accessed March 12, 2023).

"Girl Adopted." Waukesha Daily Freeman (Waukesha) December 30th, 1965. 106 ed, 239 sec, 5-5. Newspapers.com. https://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/85512438/?terms=%22David%20Waite%22%20%22adopted%22&pqsid=74E-dvQwtHlMt_JVwN958w%3A953582%3A7528786&match=1 (accessed March 12, 2023).

"President." Waukesha Daily Freeman (Waukesha) March 30th, 1971. 112 ed, 2 sec, 8-8. Newspapers.com. https://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/82118083/?terms=%22David%20Waite%22%20%22adopted%22&pqsid=74E-dvQwtHlMt_JVwN958w%3A1354761%3A1046719507&match=2 (accessed March 12, 2023).

"Explains Wedding Etiquette to Prospective Brides." Waukesha Daily Freeman (Waukesha) February 19th, 1965. 105 ed, 275 sec, 7-7. Newspapers.com. https://newscomwc.newspapers.com/image/82018388/?terms=David%20Waite&pqsid=YioSvVY7f2sKn2-IQk3o0w%3A2233440%3A967459099&match=1 (accessed March 12, 2023).

"Injuries Fatal to Waukesha Women After Vehicle Skids and Strikes Tree." Waukesha Daily Freeman (Waukesha) March 6th, 1953. At Waukesha Historical Society Museum Archives.

"Three Injured in Accident." Waukesha Daily Freeman (Waukesha) May 5th, 1953. At Waukesha Historical Society Museum Archives.

“Science News.” Science 95, no. 2455 (1942): 8–12. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1669080.

"United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, Births, and Marriages 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKWD-13MN : accessed 12 March 2023), Carol Moore Waite, Wisconsin, United States, 28 Mar 2004; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com(http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, born-digital text.

David A. Waite, Family Search. November 12th, 2019. Accessed March 12th, 2023. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/about/G3VQ-TPH.