George Joseph Wanserski was born on September 27, 1909 in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He grew up in the area and graduated from Racine High School. He enlisted into the United States Naval Reserves in March 1928 and put in the vast majority of his service and training in Milwaukee over the next ten years. He married Florence Lange and had two sons, George and Richard, before the start of World War II. His civilian jobs included milkman and bus driver, all in the Milwaukee area. In November 1940 Wanserski achieved the rank of boatswain's mate, first class and a month later he was called into active duty and assigned to the U.S.S. Gilmer in Seattle, Washington.
Leaving his family behind, he traveled to the Pacific Northwest and joined the crew of the Gilmer, which patrolled the coast. In the summer of 1941, his family moved to Seattle to be near him. In January 1942, Wanserski transferred to the U.S.S. Buckeye hoping it would keep him stationed near his family. The Buckeye also patrolled the coast, looking for Japanese submarines. In 1943 the Buckeye traveled north where it took part in the efforts to recapture the Aleutian Islands from Japanese forces. In May 1943 Wanserski and the crew participated in the seizure and occupation of Attu Island and one month later at Amchitka Island. Throughout the campaign, the crew of the Buckeye weathered bombing attacks by Japanese planes.
In July 1943, Wanserski was admitted to the Naval Hospital in Adak, Alaska and a month later was sent to the U.S. Naval Hospital in Seattle. He spent the remainder of the war in the states, serving as master at arms at the Naval Air Stations in Seattle and Klamath Falls, Oregon. He finished up his service at the Naval Hospital in Corvallis, Oregon and was given an honorable discharge in July 1945.
Following the war, Wanserski and his family, now including son Marty who was born during the war, returned to Racine where they had a fourth son, Daniel. He worked as a merchant and an industrial design model maker.
