Photo By Lance Cpl. Carlin Warren | Retired 1st Sgt. George Willis speaks to the Marines of Chosin Rifle Range, Weapons...... read more read more
Subscribe
Marines from the Parris Island rifle ranges gathered May 24 to dedicate a control tower in honor of a retired Marine who served in the Korean War.
Approximately 50 Marines from Weapons Training Company, Weapons and Field Training Battalion, took part in the ceremony, officially naming the control tower of the Chosin Rifle Range on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., to Willis Tower, in honor of retired 1st Sgt. George Willis.
Willis enlisted in the Marine Corps Sept. 1946 and in 1950 he became a section leader for the .30 caliber Heavy Machine Gun Section with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment. During his tour then-Cpl. Willis helped with the recapture of Seoul, South Korea and fought at the famous Battle of Chosin Reservoir. During the battle he was injured from a grenade blast and was awarded the Purple Heart.
“I’ve always thought that being a Marine was special, I was glad to talk with the Marines today,” said Willis. “It means a lot to come be with Marines again. Having the tower dedicated to me and everything today was amazing...seeing all of the Marines in formation and then thanking me, and I thanked them too, because that’s how Marines are.”
Willis spoke with the Marines before the dedication about his time in the Marine Corps and what it took to make it through the battle of the Chosin Reservoir.
During the historic battle approximately 12,000 Marines of the 1st Marine Division, along with a few thousand Army soldiers, were outnumbered when tens of thousands of soldiers from the Republic of China’s Ninth Army Group surrounded them in the Chosin Reservoir. The fight lasted for two weeks and was one of the biggest tests of equipment and perseverance that the Marines and soldiers had fought during the era.
“He inspired us all to be better Marines and do better,” said Pfc. Kevin Velez, who serves as a marksmanship coach at the range. “He showed us that he did a lot for us to be here and he served the country. He is an inspiration for me and other young Marines especially with his dedication to the Marine Corps.”
Later in his career Willis served as a drill instructor for the 2nd and 3rd Recruit Training Battalions, where he passed on his experiences and passion for the Marine Corps to the next generation.
Capt. Lukas Rebertus, who is in charge of Chosin Rifle Range, said naming the tower helps connect the Marines currently serving on the range with the past history of the Corps and the Battle of Chosin Reservoir.
“Why not actually name our tower after a Marine who fought in the Chosin Reservoir?” said Rebertus. “We wanted to honor [Willis], not many people would realize what that man did if they saw him on the street so we wanted to make sure he was recognized for what he did so long ago. Watching him talk to the Marines I noticed he really holds deeply that ‘Once a Marine always a Marine.’ No matter when you get out, or what you do when you get out, you’re always a Marine.
| Date Taken: | 05.24.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 06.05.2018 10:17 |
| Story ID: | 279588 |
| Location: | PARRIS ISLAND, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 1,739 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Marines on Parris Island,S.C. honor Chosin Reservoir survivor, by LCpl Carlin Warren, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT