Willis Albert Carpenter

Second Lieutenant Willis Albert Carpenter studied civil engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His thesis was entitled, “Characteristics and Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Beams Made from Waylite.” He also participated in intramural athletics and was a part of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Carpenter enlisted in the US Marine Corps Reserve during WWII. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Marine Regiment where he served as a 2nd lieutenant. By all accounts, Carpenter was a hero of the highest order. It was reported that he braved Japanese gunfire to protect the men under his command on more than one occasion. He saved several Marines during the first landing at Betio Island, Tarawa when he pulled them ashore after they were dumped into deep water, they otherwise would have drowned. On Nov. 20, 1943, Lieutenant Carpenter found himself and his men pinned down by machine gun fire from a Japanese pillbox.

He forbid any of his men from attacking it, saying, "If anyone gets killed, it's going to be me."

He rushed the pillbox under heavy machine gun fire. He threw grenades into the pillbox, silencing it, but was killed in the process. Second Lieutenant Willis Albert Carpenter is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.