Bill VVillmot joined the Army Enlisted Reserve Corps while still a senior in high school. Upon graduation in June 1943, he was called to active duty at Fort Dix, N. J. After initial processing, he was shipped to the Infantry Replacement Training Center at Camp Fannin, TX.

After basic, he was shipped to Fort Ord, CA and then to Camp Stoneman, CA, prior to boarding the USS Monticello, a 38,000-ton troopship headed for the Southwest Pacific. After 21 days at sea, he arrived at the 4th Replacement Depot, Milne Bay, New Guinea, to await assignment. While there he had the good fortune to be assigned to their military band where he played trumpet. Unfortunately, this assignment only lasted about a month.

In April 1944, Bill's unit boarded a Landing Craft Infantry (LCI 361) and sailed for Tanamerah Bay, Dutch New Guinea, where the unit made its first landing. Their objective was the Hollandia Airdrome. After the airdrome and surrounding areas were secured, the unit continued training for the upcoming invasion of the Philippines. In early October 1944, they boarded the Australian troopship, the HMAS Kanimbia, and sailed for the Philippines.

On October 20, 1944, his regiment made a beachhead on Panoan Island just south of the island of Leyte where the other two regiments of the division landed. The island was quickly secured and his regiment rejoined the division on Leyte. On arriving on Leyte, he learned that his regiment would be spearheading the drive on Breakneck Ridge.

The fight for Breakneck Ridge turned out to be the bloodiest battle of the war for Bill's unit. After this battle, all regiments were under-strength. Unfortunately, the 19th Infantry Regiment had been scheduled to invade the island of Mindoro. To bring that regiment up to full strength, a number of enlisted men, including Bill, were temporarily assigned to the 19th Infantry to make the landing. They landed on Mindoro on December 15, 1944 and quickly secured the island.

About this same time, the 34th Infantry was scheduled to land at Olongopo on Luzon island and drive to Bataan. Again, those who had been loaned to the Regiment, including Bill, were temporarily assigned to the 34th Infantry. The landing at Olongopo went much as planned but when they reached Bataan, the opposition stiffened and the fighting got ugly. Consequently, the regiment was replaced by a full division. Bill's happiness at being relieved did not last long because they were transported to the town of Marivales at the southern tip of Bataan peninsula to prepare for the landing on Corregidor.

Bill's battalion of the 34th infantry landed at Black Beach with the mission of cutting the island in half. At the same time, the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment made a drop on the widest portion of the island. The island was finally secured and those soldiers who had been loaned out were returned to their parent units then located on the island of Mindoro. Upon returning to his own unit, Bill underwent additional training in preparation for the upcoming landing on the large island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines.

On April 22, 1945, Bill's unit landed on the west coast of Mindanao and spent the next 15 days fighting some 150 miles across the island to take the large city of Davao. Shortly after securing Davao, World War II ended and the division was shipped to Japan as part of the Army of Occupation.

For Bill's service, he was awarded the Combat Infantryman's Badge (in Dutch New Guinea) in 1944, the Bronze Star Medal, The Asiatic-Pacific Theater medal with bronze arrowhead and four (4) battle stars, the Philippine Liberation Medal, the Philippine Independence Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the Victory Medal, and the Army of Occupation medal with Japan clasp. Also, his unit received the U. S. Presidential Citation and the Philippine Presidential Citation.

Bill left Japan on Christmas Day of 1945 aboard the USS Leedstown bound for the United States, landing in San Pedro, CA. Shortly thereafter, Bill was flown to Fort Dix, N. J. where he started his Army service. He was discharged in January 1946.

After his discharge from the Army, Bill went to work as a civilian for the Army Ordnance Corps at Raritan Arsenal, Metuchen, N. J. where he worked for some 17 years. In 1962, he transferred to NASA to work in the Space Program and moved to Florida, ending his career with the National Guard. After working for NASA for 18 years, he retired in December 1979.

After spending three years in semi-retirement, Bill went to work for Pan Am World Services as a Technical Editor. When Pan Am lost their technical contract with the Air Force, he retired and went to work for Computer Sciences Raytheon (CSR) at PAFS. He retired from CSR in June of 1995.

Bill's military education includes: Army Ground General School, Fort Riley, KS; Infantry School, Fort Senning, GA; Ordnance School, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD; Signal School, Fort Gordon, GA; Armor School, Fort Knox, KY; Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington, DC; and the Army Institute for Professional Development, Ft. Eustis, VA.

His civilian education includes: LLB degree in Law, Blackstone School of Law; BGS degree in General Studies, Rollins College; M.S. degree in Contract and Procurement Management, Florida Technical Institute; M.Ed. Degree in Guidance and Counseling, Stetson University; and Ph.D. degree in Counseling Psychology, Hawaii University.

In addition to his other endeavors, Bill served as an Auxiliary Police Officer, Woodbridge, NJ; as an Instructor, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary; and as radio operator for the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS).

Bill married the former Florence Camilla Veverka on May 22nd, 1948, in Linden, NJ. They reside at 1630 Venus Street, Merritt Island, FL 32953-3162. (Telephone: 321-452-2090)

HOBBIES: Amateur Radio - Extra Class License - Call Letters K4TF, Genealogy, Guns, Reading, Writing and Editing.