thedrifter
04-15-09, 07:47 AM
Brothers start foundation to honor their late brother
Posted by Linda S. Mah | Kalamazoo Gazette April 15, 2009 00:15AM
Some people don't seem to remember that there are U.S. troops fighting in foreign countries.
But that's not the case for brothers Michael and Shaun Willis.
They keep those troops in the forefront of their minds because it helps them remember one servicemen who was close to their hearts: their younger brother Chris Willis, who served with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve's 6th Engineer Support Battalion from Battle Creek.
Michael and Shaun Willis, attorneys with the Kalamazoo law firm Willis & Willis, are the founders of the Cpl. Christopher Kelly Willis Foundation, which they established in memory of their brother, a 23-year-old Marine who died in a 2003 car accident near Battle Creek six weeks after returning from Iraq, where he served on a reconnaissance team for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.
You can tell the loss is still fresh for the brothers.
When Michael talks about Chris, he says things like, "He's got a strong sense of duty and loyalty about him" and "He is the person who taught me how to find good in every person."
Is. Not was. Is.
He is, still, a powerful presence.
The foundation has sponsored free trips for members of the Fort Custer Army National Guard Base in Battle Creek, provided support to an Iraqi elementary school sponsored by the Marines and commissioned a handmade wooden cabinet that will serve as a memorial for four Battle Creek servicemen who died in the line of duty.
IF YOU WANT TO HELP
You can find out more about the Cpl. Christopher Kelly Willis Foundation by calling (269) 492-1040 or visiting www.cckwf.org.
Now the focus of the foundation is providing college scholarships for children who have lost a parent in combat or who have a parent who has been 100 percent disabled in combat. The scholarships are open to the families of servicemen and women whose permanent residences were in Kalamazoo, Van Buren, Calhoun or Macomb counties at the time of their deaths or disabilities.
The new focus reflects Chris' presence in his brothers' hearts.
"I think that's what Chris would want us to do -- thank his fellow Marines and do that by taking care of their families," Shaun said.
In one sense, Chris was like the Pied Piper, Michael said. "He was like a big kid himself. He loved kids. Chris talked about being a coach and a teacher."
But the goal here is about more than remembering Chris, Shaun said.
It's about reaching out to the military community and showing that there are those who remember and honor the sacrifices they are making -- sacrifices that are being ignored by too many people, the brothers said.
"When Chris came back, when his friends came back, there weren't a lot of people thinking of them," Shaun said. "No one was thanking them for what they do.
"Each soldier, when they sign up to protect us, writes a blank check to us with their lives. Our hope is that people don't forget that."
The brothers promise they won't forget.
Linda S. Mah, whose opinion column usually runs on Wednesdays, can be reached at 388-8546 or lmah@kalamazoogazette.com.
Ellie
Posted by Linda S. Mah | Kalamazoo Gazette April 15, 2009 00:15AM
Some people don't seem to remember that there are U.S. troops fighting in foreign countries.
But that's not the case for brothers Michael and Shaun Willis.
They keep those troops in the forefront of their minds because it helps them remember one servicemen who was close to their hearts: their younger brother Chris Willis, who served with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve's 6th Engineer Support Battalion from Battle Creek.
Michael and Shaun Willis, attorneys with the Kalamazoo law firm Willis & Willis, are the founders of the Cpl. Christopher Kelly Willis Foundation, which they established in memory of their brother, a 23-year-old Marine who died in a 2003 car accident near Battle Creek six weeks after returning from Iraq, where he served on a reconnaissance team for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.
You can tell the loss is still fresh for the brothers.
When Michael talks about Chris, he says things like, "He's got a strong sense of duty and loyalty about him" and "He is the person who taught me how to find good in every person."
Is. Not was. Is.
He is, still, a powerful presence.
The foundation has sponsored free trips for members of the Fort Custer Army National Guard Base in Battle Creek, provided support to an Iraqi elementary school sponsored by the Marines and commissioned a handmade wooden cabinet that will serve as a memorial for four Battle Creek servicemen who died in the line of duty.
IF YOU WANT TO HELP
You can find out more about the Cpl. Christopher Kelly Willis Foundation by calling (269) 492-1040 or visiting www.cckwf.org.
Now the focus of the foundation is providing college scholarships for children who have lost a parent in combat or who have a parent who has been 100 percent disabled in combat. The scholarships are open to the families of servicemen and women whose permanent residences were in Kalamazoo, Van Buren, Calhoun or Macomb counties at the time of their deaths or disabilities.
The new focus reflects Chris' presence in his brothers' hearts.
"I think that's what Chris would want us to do -- thank his fellow Marines and do that by taking care of their families," Shaun said.
In one sense, Chris was like the Pied Piper, Michael said. "He was like a big kid himself. He loved kids. Chris talked about being a coach and a teacher."
But the goal here is about more than remembering Chris, Shaun said.
It's about reaching out to the military community and showing that there are those who remember and honor the sacrifices they are making -- sacrifices that are being ignored by too many people, the brothers said.
"When Chris came back, when his friends came back, there weren't a lot of people thinking of them," Shaun said. "No one was thanking them for what they do.
"Each soldier, when they sign up to protect us, writes a blank check to us with their lives. Our hope is that people don't forget that."
The brothers promise they won't forget.
Linda S. Mah, whose opinion column usually runs on Wednesdays, can be reached at 388-8546 or lmah@kalamazoogazette.com.
Ellie