Louis Edward Willett

Private First Class Louis Edward Willett was a soldier in the United States Army who served as a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division. Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Richmond Hill, New York, Willett was a graduate of Archbishop Molloy High School and attended SUNY Maritime College before being drafted into military service while working as a telephone company lineman.

During his service in the Vietnam War, Private First Class Willett distinguished himself through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity. His unit came under heavy enemy fire, during which he repeatedly exposed himself to save his comrades and secure their position, actions that ultimately cost him his life.

For his extraordinary heroism and selflessness during the conflict, Private First Class Willett was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration for valor, along with the Purple Heart.