Final Salute

I’m sending you the obituary for William “Bill” Rawlings, who served with the 139th Battalion CBMU 593 from July 16, 1943-February 15, 1946. His unit followed the Marines onto Saipan, Tinian, and Guam Islands.

You’ll read that, thanks to the GI Bill, he was able to finish his education in forestry and wildlife management and found meaningful work with the United States Forest Service. He was killed following a line-of-duty horse accident between Rico and Dolores, Colorado. The obituary misstates that he was on his way to work. Also, the obituary fails to mention that not only did he leave four children and a widow, my mother; but they were also expecting their fifth child, born posthumously, on December 4, 1959.

My mother did re-marry (another Forest Service employee and an army veteran of the Korean War). Bill’s memory, though, is honored, and we children are just now cataloging his war letters and looking for any who might remember Bill.

Please accept and publish this long overdue obituary published 7/16/59 in Bristol Enterprise, v 82, n. 7, Bristol, NH, page 8.

Sincerely,

Grace Anderson