thedrifter
11-11-06, 10:43 AM
[November 11, 2006, 7:34 am]
"War Widow Honors Her Fallen Hero"
February 28, 1945: the battle of Iwo Jima rages during World War II. Maury County’s John Harlan Willis aids injured Marines, and is injured himself by flying shrapnel. He returns to the battle's front lines, and tosses eight Japanese hand grenades from the trenches.
A ninth explodes in his hand and kills him.
His surviving widow took the time to reflect on the fallen hero with News 2.
“He used to tell people not to date me that he was going to marry me someday." More than a half century ago, John Harlan Willis made good on his promise and married his high school sweetheart, Winfrey.
“He didn't have the money to go to college,” she says. “He always wanted to be a doctor, so he joined the navy corps."
World War II was being waged around the planet. John Willis was sent to the Pacific theater.
“They lost more people in Iwo Jima than they did in all the European war."
Willis' actions in battle saved countless lives, but he lost his own in the process. John Willis has been honored several times posthumously; the Congressional Medal of Honor was received by his widow and newborn son.
"They gave our son the box and immediately it went to hismouth,” says Winfrey. “And one of the reporters wrote, ‘the little black box was a good teething ring.'"
Harlan is also the only Tennessean to have a Navy ship named in his honor. The USS John Harlan Willis was in service from 1957-1972. Winfrey Willis had the honor of christening her.
"Miss Eisenhower and Miss Truman were before me and missed the boat. They didn't break the bottle. Navy tradition back then if you didn't break the bottle the ship was jinxed."
Winfrey Willis believes there should be one more honor bestowed on her fallen hero. She has set about collecting signatures, so far more than athousand, on a petition for a commemorative postage stamp that will bear Willis' likeness.
"I don't think he would be excited about it, because he wasn't the type looking for publicity,” she says. “But, I think he deserves it."
If approved, it will take three years to produce the postage stamp. Winfrey wants to be there to accept that honor as well.
Ellie
"War Widow Honors Her Fallen Hero"
February 28, 1945: the battle of Iwo Jima rages during World War II. Maury County’s John Harlan Willis aids injured Marines, and is injured himself by flying shrapnel. He returns to the battle's front lines, and tosses eight Japanese hand grenades from the trenches.
A ninth explodes in his hand and kills him.
His surviving widow took the time to reflect on the fallen hero with News 2.
“He used to tell people not to date me that he was going to marry me someday." More than a half century ago, John Harlan Willis made good on his promise and married his high school sweetheart, Winfrey.
“He didn't have the money to go to college,” she says. “He always wanted to be a doctor, so he joined the navy corps."
World War II was being waged around the planet. John Willis was sent to the Pacific theater.
“They lost more people in Iwo Jima than they did in all the European war."
Willis' actions in battle saved countless lives, but he lost his own in the process. John Willis has been honored several times posthumously; the Congressional Medal of Honor was received by his widow and newborn son.
"They gave our son the box and immediately it went to hismouth,” says Winfrey. “And one of the reporters wrote, ‘the little black box was a good teething ring.'"
Harlan is also the only Tennessean to have a Navy ship named in his honor. The USS John Harlan Willis was in service from 1957-1972. Winfrey Willis had the honor of christening her.
"Miss Eisenhower and Miss Truman were before me and missed the boat. They didn't break the bottle. Navy tradition back then if you didn't break the bottle the ship was jinxed."
Winfrey Willis believes there should be one more honor bestowed on her fallen hero. She has set about collecting signatures, so far more than athousand, on a petition for a commemorative postage stamp that will bear Willis' likeness.
"I don't think he would be excited about it, because he wasn't the type looking for publicity,” she says. “But, I think he deserves it."
If approved, it will take three years to produce the postage stamp. Winfrey wants to be there to accept that honor as well.
Ellie