The Wall › Panel 15E › New York › Louis Edward Willett
LOUIS EDWARD WILLETT
Private First Class · U.S. Army
June 19, 1945 – February 15, 1967
Medal of Honor StoryLouis Edward Willett, of Richmond Hill, New York, served as a Private First Class in the U.S. Army. He died on February 15, 1967, in Kontum Province, South Vietnam, at age 21. His name is inscribed on Panel 15E, Line 37 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Medal of Honor · awarded posthumously
For conspicuous gallantry
Louis Edward Willett received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for valor, for his actions on February 15, 1967. The official citation reads:
His Medal of Honor citation reads:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. PFC Willett distinguished himself while serving as a rifleman in Company C, during combat operations. His squad was conducting a security sweep when it made contact with a large enemy force. The squad was immediately engaged with a heavy volume of automatic weapons fire and pinned to the ground. Despite the deadly fusillade, PFC Willett rose to his feet firing rapid bursts from his weapon and moved to a position from which he placed highly effective fire on the enemy. His action allowed the remainder of his squad to begin to withdraw from the superior enemy force toward the company perimeter. PFC Willett covered the squad's withdrawal, but his position drew heavy enemy machinegun fire, and he received multiple wounds enabling the enemy again to pin down the remainder of the squad. PFC Willett struggled to an upright position, and, disregarding his painful wounds, he again engaged the enemy with his rifle to allow his squad to continue its movement and to evacuate several of his comrades who were by now wounded. Moving from position to position, he engaged the enemy at close range until he was mortally wounded. By his unselfish acts of bravery, PFC Willett insured the withdrawal of his comrades to the company position, saving their lives at the cost of his life. PFC Willett's valorous actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.
^ "Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipients (M-Z)". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. 2003-10-03. Archived from the original on 2008-04-24. Retrieved 2007-02-23.
Citation text as reproduced in Wikipedia’s article on Louis Edward Willett; Medal of Honor citations are official U.S. government records. See also the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and all Medal of Honor recipients on the Wall.
On the Wall
Panel 15E · Line 37
Names are inscribed in the order of loss, starting at Panel 1E at the apex and ending at Panel 1W. At the Memorial, find the panel number at the base and count down from the top line.
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Service
- Branch
- U.S. Army
- Rank
- Private First Class (PFC)
- Service
- Drafted (Selective Service)
- Occupation
- Infantryman (11B)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 4 INF DIV
- Born
- June 19, 1945
- Home of record
- Richmond Hill, New York (Queens County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- February 15, 1967
- Age
- 21
- Province
- Kontum
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Unknown
Context · from the records
What was happening
36 names on the Wall carry the date February 15, 1967; 11 of them were lost in Kon Tum Province. In February 1967, 767 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 4th Infantry Division, his unit in the record, lost 107 of its members that month.
Also on Panel 15E, Line 37
- ROBERT COLE STEWARTCaptain · February 15, 1967
- THOMAS TAMILIOLance Corporal · February 15, 1967
- CHARLES M WAYTSpecialist Four · February 15, 1967
- EDWARD EUGENE FORTENBERRYSpecialist Four · February 16, 1967
Same unit, same day
- ALLEN B CHAMBERLAINSergeant · Panel 15E, Line 31
- JOHNIE NATHANIEL DANIELSSpecialist Four · Panel 15E, Line 32
- RONALD CHARLES GEHLERSpecialist Four · Panel 15E, Line 32
- HARVEY MCKEE CARKINSergeant · Panel 15E, Line 33
- RICHARD ALAN CARVERPlatoon Sergeant · Panel 15E, Line 33
- JAMES LEE KRAMERSpecialist Four · Panel 15E, Line 33
- VAN DYKE WILLIAM MANNERSPrivate First Class · Panel 15E, Line 34
- MICHAEL PATRICK REILLYSpecialist Four · Panel 15E, Line 35
- ERIC B SPEAKCorporal · Panel 15E, Line 36
From Richmond Hill
- GEORGE THOMAS STRIDIRONSergeant First Class · April 30, 1966
- LAWRENCE STRACKPrivate · March 3, 1967
- JOHN RICHARD SIBILLYSergeant · September 7, 1967
- BRUCE ROBERT HAYESLance Corporal · May 29, 1968
- EDWARD VINCENT COFFEYCorporal · August 21, 1968
- PATRICK JOHN MCCORMICKCorporal · August 25, 1968
- ROBERT EDWARD REHDERSpecialist Four · October 20, 1968
- FREDRICK STANLEY SHAVELSpecialist Four · April 16, 1969
- DOUGLAS RAY ANDERSONTechnical Sergeant · July 3, 1970
- MICHAEL SMITHSergeant · October 11, 1970
Source. U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Casualty Analysis System, Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File (as of April 29, 2008), Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Record Group 330, National Archives (NAID 2240992). Panel and line as recorded in that file. The Medal of Honor citation above is the official account of his actions. See something wrong? Report a correction.