Gene Wilder, born Jerome Silberman on June 11, 1933, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was an Army vet and celebrated actor. Graduating from the University of Iowa in 1955, he studied theater in the UK before being drafted in 1956. Serving in the medical corps, he worked as a paramedic while studying acting in New York. Discharged in 1958, he adopted the stage name Gene Wilder in 1959. Known for roles in “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein,” and “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” he lived in Stamford, Connecticut, until his death from Alzheimer’s complications on August 28, 2016. We honor his service.