Marine
Charcoal drawing of William W. Sherrill, 1945-1946
This image was drawn by a "gray lady" (the nickname given to female Red Cross volunteers during WWII) while Sherrill was recovering from a wound at the Oakland Naval Hospital in California. Sherrill planned to make a career out of the Marine Corps, but because he was wounded, his life took a different course.
At fifteen years old, Sherrill dropped out of the eighth grade and lied about his age in order to join the Marine Corps, less than three weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor. After boot camp, Sherrill was stationed for sixteen months on Palmyra Island in the company of pre-war professional marines who provided him with additional training.
Sherrill and other Marines arrived on the island of Guadalcanal as reinforcements for the 3rd Division of the 9th Marine Regiment, which had recently returned from the Bougainville campaign. As a member of the 3rd Division, Sherrill saw combat when he went ashore with the first wave on Guam Island on July 21, 1944. Sherrill again saw combat during the battle for Iwo Jima Island where he was wounded on March 2, 1945.
Sherrill was sent to Oakland Naval Hospital in California. He arrived in March 1945 and remained until he was discharged in 1946. While recovering from his wound, he met a nurse that helped him take the GED and get accepted into the University of Houston.
Enlistment Papers
Despite his youthful appearance, "Billy" was allowed to enlist in the Marine Corps in December, 1941.
K Company, 1944
This photograph was taken on Guam Island after it was captured. Sherrill first saw combat on July 21, 1944, when he took part in the first wave to land on the island. Sherrill is in the second row, directly behind the seventh man from the left on the front row.
William W. Sherrill receiving an award aboard Battleship Texas, 2015
This award was presented to Sherrill aboard the Battleship Texas (BB35) during the 70th Anniversary Battle of Iwo Jima Commemoration on February 22, 2015.