William White

Personal Information

Birthplace: Long Beach, CA

Service Information

Branch of Service: Marine Corps

Unit: 1st Battalion, 28 Marines

Theater of Operation: Pacific

Highest Rank: Major

Military Honors: Purple Heart

Honored By: The Eisenhower Foundation

Biography

William “Bill” White was born in Long Beach, CA in 1915 and grew up in Southern California. White was rejected his first attempt to enlist in the Marines due to a skin condition. He took a job helping construct the Hoover Dam. la White joined the Marine Corps in 1934 and later became a paratrooper. White went to Parker Ranch in Hawaii for training and prepped for the invasion of Iwo Jima. He went ashore after the first Flag was raised landing on the beach directly under Mt. Suribachi. He served with the 1st Battalion 28th Marines, was wounded when he was thrown by a grenade blast. The injury sent him back to the United States. White continued in the Marines, retiring in 1964. White died in 2022 at age 106 and is thought to have been the longest living veterans at that time. Courtesy of recordnet.com.