William E. Weber was born on November 10, 1925, in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. He was the son of Joe and Rosina (née Schaden) Weber. He was married to Annelie Weber. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of seventeen during World War II and served with the 11th Airborne Division in the Pacific Theater before participating in the occupation of Japan. After receiving his commission as an infantry officer in 1945, he continued his military career and later deployed to Korea in 1950 with the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team.

During the Korean War, Weber fought in major operations including the Inchon Landing and the battle for Seoul. In February 1951, while commanding troops during the Battle of Wonju, he suffered devastating combat wounds that resulted in the loss of his right arm and right leg. Despite these injuries, he remained on active duty after extensive rehabilitation, becoming one of the first severely disabled officers to continue serving in the U.S. Army. Over his long military career, he served in various leadership and administrative roles at Fort Benning, NATO Headquarters, the Department of the Army, and the Army Discharge Review Board before retiring as a colonel in 1980 after more than thirty-seven years of service.

After retirement, Weber became one of the leading advocates for preserving the legacy of Korean War veterans. Appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the Korean War Veterans Memorial Advisory Board in 1987, he played a major role in the planning, fundraising, and construction of the Korean War Veterans Memorial, which was dedicated in 1995. Weber also served as the model for one of the memorial’s nineteen stainless steel soldier statues. He later helped establish and lead the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation and became a driving force behind the creation of the Wall of Remembrance, which honors more than 36,000 Americans who died in the Korean War.

Throughout his later life, Weber worked tirelessly to ensure the Korean War would not remain known as the “Forgotten War.” Together with his wife, Annelie, he promoted public education about the war through memorial projects, public speaking, interviews, and veterans organizations. He died on April 9, 2022, and is now buried in the Resthaven Memorial Gardens, Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland, USA.

Source of information: grokipedia.com