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An up close and personal interview with U.S. Coast Guard Veteran and Togetherweserved.com Member:
CPO William Willis US Coast Guard Reserves (1987- Present)
WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO JOIN THE MILITARY?
 I graduated high school and was just continuing to live it up and have a good time with no real job skills and was just scraping by when I happened to look up and realize I was driving by a Coast Guard Recruiter. I grew up on the water so I knew about the Coast Guard and had seen them on the water all my life. I saw them fly over my house in those big Pelican helo's when I was a child and were a huge impact on me. I took a class trip when I was in elementary school to the Cutter Chilula at Fort Macon, Atlantic Beach NC. It just felt like that was what I was supposed to do - so I did. The urge struck me and I just drove right up and joined.
WHAT WAS YOUR SERVICE CAREER PATH?
I went to Cape May, New Jersey in Feb of 87. Company was Uniform 124. CC was BM1 Fielding - I only saw his toes as I did pushups for the first couple weeks. Most snow I ever saw was during this time. I got orders to the CG Cutter Rambler in Charleston SC. It was a construction tender and I thought to myself what an ugly boat. Never judge a book by its cover, I loved that unit. I am still close, after over 24 years, with many of the  shipmates I served with then.
I filled in for our cook a couple of times, he was outstanding, and the idea hit me that this is maybe what I want to do. I went to Petaluma, CA to the A school and became an FS - I was stationed in Honolulu HI. I loved it there as well and extended an additional year. It was nice as we were a support unit and I got to experience TAD time on a 110 and an 82 foot patrol boat.
I was then transferred to the CGC Staten Island, a patrol boat out of Ft Macon NC. After that tour I went to the Reserves because I wanted to start a family. I was stationed at Station Hobucken and was there from 1995 until June of 2010.
I was transferred to Sector Charleston and I am still here as a Reservist. I was recalled back to active duty in 2003 for about 6 months for Port Security in the Wilmington, Morehead City and Sunny Point ports.
DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN COMBAT OPERATIONS? IF SO, COULD YOU DESCRIBE THOSE WHICH WERE SIGNIFICANT TO YOU?
 I was never directly involved in any combat operations. We participated in the invasion of Haiti, if you can call it that, as we were invited in at the last minute. We did carry Army Special Forces and Australian Police into remote areas where we would drop them off and they would look for rebels and make nice with the villagers. Haiti was dangerous at that time and Haitians would be killed during the night and we would sometimes find their bodies floating in the water and have to retrieve them.
Prior to the invasion, maybe a year earlier, we had carried some refugees back to Port-au-Prince and there were people on the pier in civvies leaning on shotguns etc. Never knew what became of those people but always felt that probably something bad happened.
FROM YOUR ENTIRE SERVICE CAREER WHAT PARTICULAR MEMORY STANDS OUT?
 The Cubans commenced a mass migration and we were sent to intercept them along with dozens of other patrol boats. Pulling those people from the water off of makeshift rafts by the hundreds, day in and day out, took long hours and hard work. But it made me proud at the same time. I felt like this is what it's all about.
WERE ANY OF THE MEDALS OR AWARDS YOU RECEIVED FOR VALOR? IF YES, COULD YOU DESCRIBE HOW THIS WAS EARNED?
No awards for Valor. My highest award is a Commander's Letter of Commendation. I appreciate the award, but all I ever did was my job. The Unit Commendations and Humanitarian Service Medals mean more to me as they are associated with things I participated in as part of a team with my shipmates.
OF THE MEDALS, AWARDS AND QUALIFICATION BADGES OR DEVICES YOU RECEIVED, WHAT IS THE MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU AND WHY?
 Coast Guard Unit Commendation we got for our efforts to put Charleston Harbor back together after Hurricane Hugo. We earned everything we received in the weeks and months after Hugo working hard from sun up to sun down.
WHICH INDIVIDUAL PERSON FROM YOUR SERVICE STANDS OUT AS THE ONE WHO HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOU AND WHY?
Andy Thompson. He was our cook on the Rambler and his positive affect on our morale motivated me to do the same.
CAN YOU RECOUNT A PARTICULAR INCIDENT FROM YOUR SERVICE THAT WAS FUNNY AT THE TIME AND STILL MAKES YOU LAUGH?
 Yes and I still laugh about it today. I was on the Cutter Staten Island at the time and we had pulled into the Bahamas for a night on our way back home from a Caribbean cruise. This little boy was selling flutes on the pier and asked our Gunners Mate, Russ Hazlet if he would like to buy one. Well he turns him down and we go off to have a few beers and explore the place. Later that evening we come back to the ship and it had just got dark and we see the same little boy. Well Russ says, "Little boy, I would like to buy one of your flutes." That little kid comes right back at him in his very proper sounding English, "Earlier today I asked you if you would like a flute. You said no. Now I have no flutes and now you have no flute."
I thought we would fall off the pier laughing at that and I still smile every time I think of it.
WHAT PROFESSION DID YOU FOLLOW AFTER THE SERVICE AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? IF CURRENTLY SERVING, WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT JOB?
I went to work as an insurance agent. My grandfather started the agency in the late 40's and my father now owns it. If things go the way we want I will follow in his footsteps.
WHAT MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS ARE YOU A MEMBER OF, IF ANY? WHAT SPECIFIC BENEFITS DO YOU DERIVE FROM YOUR MEMBERSHIPS?
 I am a member of the CPOA, VFW, American Legion and CG Combat Veterans. I enjoy participating with the CPOA. I like the feeling that I may have some part in helping others in some way. I intend to become more active in the other associations I belong to once I retire from the CG Reserve in approximately 2 more years.
HOW HAS MILITARY SERVICE INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACHED YOUR LIFE AND CAREER?
The service has given me an appreciation I don't think I could have fully realized if I hadn't served - that of being an American and living free in our great country. I don't know how else to explain it other than that.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU HAVE FOR THOSE THAT ARE STILL SERVING?
 Stay with it, enjoy it and take the most you can from the Coast Guard. You are serving with some of the finest men and women our country has to offer and it will all be over way too soon.
IN WHAT WAYS HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU MAINTAIN A BOND WITH YOUR SERVICE AND THOSE YOU SERVED WITH?
It has allowed me to connect with old and new shipmates and I appreciate the opportunity to create a record of my time in the service to leave behind.
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TWS VOICES
TWS Voices are the personal stories of men and women who served in the US Military and convey how serving their Country has made a positive impact on their lives. If you would like to participate in a future edition of Voices, or know someone who might be interested, please contact TWS Voices HERE.
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For current and former serving Members of the US Coast Guard and US Coast Guard Reserve, TogetherWeServed is a unique, feature-rich resource enabling Coast Guardsmen to re-connect with lost Shipmates, share memories and tell their Coast Guard story.
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shipmates I served with then.
