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Wilbur was the third of four children. He was born on June 16, 1925, in Van Buren, Missouri. At 18, Bucky joined the U.S. Army. He served in the Pacific Theater from September 1943 to December 1945. Bucky fought in the jungles of Dutch New Guinea. Because of his specialized Signal Corps training, he was deployed to Manila, where he was tasked with rebuilding the communication system that enemy forces had destroyed. Bucky was stationed at the same location where General Douglas MacArthur had set up his headquarters. Bucky witnessed MacArthur's famous photo of him wading ashore in the Philippines, which is linked to his "I have returned" speech.
Bucky has spent his lifetime serving his community, with a long list of accomplishments that include: CWA Union President, Member of the San Francisco Commonwealth Club, Harvard Business School Graduate, Elks Lodge Exalted Ruler, President of the Corning CA Rotary Club, Master of Ceremony for the annual VFW Memorial Day Service from 1998 to 2016, Chairman for the Annual Tehama County Police and Fire Awards Banquet, School Bond Chairman for Shasta County Community College, Grand Marshal for the Corning CA Veterans Day Parade in 2013, Honored Guest for the Missouri WWII Veterans invited to the Washington D.C. Guide Honor Tour in 2010, WWII Veteran Honoree for the City of Goodyear AZ Veterans Day Celebration in 2023, and Special Featured WWII Veteran for the City of Goodyear AZ Veterans Day Celebration in 2024, with his interview posted on the City of Goodyear media page and YouTube.
After serving in the military, Bucky worked for Pacific Telephone for 37 years. He retired in 1983 as the Director of Labor Relations. Bucky has been married to Genevieve for 45 years. Together, they have six children, 18 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
