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PhM1c John Harlan Willis

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PhM1c John Harlan Willis Famous memorial Veteran

Birth
Columbia, Maury County, Tennessee, USA
Death
28 Feb 1945 (aged 23)
Iwo Jima, Ogasawara-shichō, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan
Burial
Columbia, Maury County, Tennessee, USA GPS-Latitude: 35.6054, Longitude: -87.0291
Plot
Block S
Memorial ID
View Source
World War II Medal of Honor Recipient. Served as Platoon Corpsman with the 3rd Battalion, 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division during operations against Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands. In action at Hill 362 on February 28, 1945, he administered first aid to the many wounded Marines until he himself was struck by shrapnel and was ordered back to the aid station. With no medical release, he quickly returned to his company to help the wounded. During a hand-to-hand enemy counterattack, he administered blood plasma to a Marine lying wounded in a shell hole. He continued to give aid to his wounded comrades under constant fire, throwing back eight enemy hand grenades until the ninth exploded, killing him instantly.
World War II Medal of Honor Recipient. Served as Platoon Corpsman with the 3rd Battalion, 27th Marines, 5th Marine Division during operations against Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands. In action at Hill 362 on February 28, 1945, he administered first aid to the many wounded Marines until he himself was struck by shrapnel and was ordered back to the aid station. With no medical release, he quickly returned to his company to help the wounded. During a hand-to-hand enemy counterattack, he administered blood plasma to a Marine lying wounded in a shell hole. He continued to give aid to his wounded comrades under constant fire, throwing back eight enemy hand grenades until the ninth exploded, killing him instantly.

Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith



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  • Maintained by: Find a Grave
  • Originally Created by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
  • Added: Sep 4, 2003
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7834341/john_harlan-willis: accessed ), memorial page for PhM1c John Harlan Willis (10 Jun 1921–28 Feb 1945), Find a Grave Memorial ID 7834341, citing Rose Hill Cemetery, Columbia, Maury County, Tennessee, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.