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Size | Image Description | Contributed By And/Or Copyright |
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101k | Artist's conception of John Willis (as built) by the renowned graphic illustrator John Barrett, with the text written by naval author and historian Robert F. Sumrall. Their company, Navy Yard Associates, offers prints of most destroyers, submarines and aircraft carriers in various configurations during the ship's lifetime. ALL destroyer escorts are available. The prints can be customized with ship's patches, your photograph, your bio, etc. When you purchase artwork from them, please indicate that you heard about their work from Navsource. | Navy Yard Associates | |
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49k | John Harlan Willis was born on 10 June 1921 in Columbia, Tenn. Following graduation from high school in November 1940 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He received recruit training at Naval Training Station, Norfolk, Va. and corpsman training at the Norfolk Naval Hospital, Portsmouth, Va.. In March 1941, Willis was promoted to Seaman, Second Class and was briefly assigned to the Naval Hospital, Parris Island, S.C., transferring to Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Fla. in the late spring. In August 1941 he was promoted to Hospital Apprentice First Class and, in December, to Pharmacist's Mate Third Class. After receiving a promotion to Pharmacist's Mate Second Class in September 1942, Willis served with Naval Operating Base Units, organizing and training units for overseas service. In July 1943 he was promoted to Pharmacist's Mate First Class. That November he joined the Training Detachment, Field Medical School Battalion, Fleet Marine Force Training Center at Camp Elliot, San Diego, California, transferring in early 1944 to Headquarters Company, Third Battalion, Twenty-seventh Marines, Fifth Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, California.
With his unit, he participated as a Platoon Corpsman in the battle of Iwo Jima. On 28 February 1945, while aiding fallen Marines during a fierce action near Japanese-held Hill 362, he was wounded and ordered back to the battle-aid station. Disregarding his injuries, Willis returned to the battle area to resume casualty assistance. He was helping a wounded Marine when the enemy attacked with hand grenades. After throwing eight grenades back at the enemy, he was killed when one exploded in his hand. For his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life," he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. John H. Willis is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery, Columbia, Tenn.. USS John Willis (DE 1027) (1957-1972) was the first ship named in his honor. (U.S. Navy photo #NH76411-A from the Naval History and Heritage Command) |
Navsource | |
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87k | undated | Gerald Meyers | |
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233k | 13 March 1957: Philadelphia, Pa. - John Willis lays to off the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. | Ed Zajkowski | |
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108k | 13 August 1959 (U.S. Navy Photo) | Marc Arsenault, Webmaster for the Newport Dealeys website |
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96k | circa 1959: USS John Willis (DE 1027) underway. (U.S. Navy Photo, from "Jane's Fighting Ships" 1960-61) | Robert Hurst | |
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78k | circa 1967 | ||
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74k | An undated postcard view of John Willis. (Postcard © Arnold Art Store, Newport, R.I.; shown at 150% of original size) Caption reads: A unit of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet home-ported at Newport, R.I. on Narragansett Bay. (Official U.S. Navy photograph) |
Mike Smolinski | |
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171k | undated: Antwerp, Belgium - A photo of John Willis, moored outboard of USS Courtney (DE 1021) while on a port visit to Antwerp. | Gilbert Gyssels | |
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56k | Scanned from the cruise book of May to September 1967 on our Northern European and Med Cruise. I think the picture was taken in the fjords of Norway, either coming or going to the city of Bergen. | James T. Toms CWO3 (Bos'n), USCG (ret) |
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74k | circa 1971 | Robert Hurst | |
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194k | undated | Bill Gonyo | |
| John Willis Memorabilia |
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| Ship's Plaque  Courtesy of Mike Smolinski |
Ship's Plaque  Courtesy of Mike Smolinski |
1960 Magazine Advertisement  Navsource |
| John Willis's Commanding Officers Thanks to Wolfgang Hechler & Ron Reeves |
| Dates of Command | Commanding Officers |
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| 1.) 21 Feb 1957 - 1958 | Lcdr. Henry Osgood Anson, Jr. |
| 2.) May 1958 - 1959 | Lcdr. David Ervin Cummins III |
| 3.) 1959 - 1961 | Lcdr. James Spray Gardner |
| 4.) 1961 - 30 Aug 1962 | Lcdr. Edgar Maxwell Cocke |
| 5.) 30 Aug 1962 - 11 Mar 1964 | Cdr. Edwin Elmore Woods, Jr. |
| 6.) 11 Mar 1964 - Jul 1965 | Lcdr. Gardner S. Barrett |
| 7.) Jul 1965 - 1967 | Cdr. Charles Moulton Plumly |
| 8.) 1967 - 1968 | Lcdr. Henry Clayton Atwood, Jr. |
| 9.) 1968 - Jan 1970 | Lcdr. Compton Eugene Ward |
| 10.) Jan 1970 - Jun 1971 | Lcdr. Raymond Guy Zeller (ret. as Radm.) |
| 11.) Jun 1971 14 Jul 1972 | Lcdr. Robert Marlin Hydinger |
Contact information is compiled from various sources over a period of time and may, or may not, be correct. Every effort has been
made to list the newest contact. However, our entry is only as good as the latest information that's been sent to us. We list only
a contact for the ship if one has been sent to us. We do NOT have crew lists or rosters available. Please see the Frequently Asked
Questions section on Navsource's Main Page for that information.
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