"Semper Fi" Irving Jerome "Izzi" Wagner (1915–2005) was a visionary businessman, civic leader, veteran, and philanthropist from Salt Lake City. After graduating from West High School, he enrolled at the University of Utah. Less than two weeks into his studies, however, his father passed away unexpectedly. Faced with the responsibility of supporting his family, Izzi withdrew from the university to help run the family business, Wagner Bag Co., during the Great Depression. He built the company into a national industry leader, eventually selling it to St. Regis Paper Company. Although he never completed a college degree, he maintained a lifelong respect for learning and the value of education.

Izzi’s military service during World War II was marked by courage, sacrifice, and a deep sense of duty. Despite being eligible for an exemption due to his essential role in the family business, he chose to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps on February 14, 1942, motivated by patriotism and the horrors unfolding in Europe.

He trained at Camp Elliot in San Diego and joined the 249th Platoon. Initially assigned to a rifle company, Izzi was later transferred to headquarters thanks to his skills in typing and shorthand, which he had learned in high school. Nevertheless, he embraced the Marine Corps ethos that “every Marine is a rifleman.” His leadership and dedication were quickly recognized, and he was promoted to private first class, then corporal, and eventually sergeant.

On the eve of deployment, Izzi married Jeanné Rasmussen in a brief, off-base ceremony—a moment of personal joy before heading into the uncertainty of war. He was sent to the New Hebrides Islands, the staging ground for the Battle of Guadalcanal—a critical campaign in the Pacific Theater. The brutal realities of combat, especially the emotional toll of encountering many of his comrades and fallen enemy soldiers, left a lasting impression on him.

During the Battle of Guadalcanal, Izzi contracted malaria and was hospitalized in New Zealand for nearly a year. His illness prevented him from participating in the Battle of Tarawa, one of the bloodiest conflicts in the Pacific. He often credited the mosquito that infected him with saving his life, a sentiment he expressed with humor and gratitude.

In 1944, Izzi returned to the United States for further treatment and was eventually stationed at the Clearfield Naval Supply Depot in Utah. He was honorably discharged on January 26, 1945, with a character rating of “excellent,” marking the close of a chapter of service that was both harrowing and transformative.

The VSC acknowledges with gratitude Don Gale, author of Bags to Riches: The Story of IJ Wagner (2006), who details Izzi Wagner’s life and military service in his 2006 book (University of Utah Press).