John Harlan Willis

On February 19, 1945, he landed with the 3rd Battalion, 27th Marines on Iwo Jima. He participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima as a rifle company platoon corpsman and, on February 28, while aiding fallen Marines during a fierce action near Japanese-held Hill 362, he was wounded by shrapnel and ordered back to the battle-aid station. Disregarding his injuries, Willis returned to the battle area to resume casualty assistance. He was treating a wounded Marine when the enemy attacked his position with hand grenades. After throwing eight grenades back at the enemy, he was killed when a ninth grenade exploded in his hand. For his heroic actions that day during the battle, Willis was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

On December 3, 1945, his widow was presented the Medal of Honor on her husband's behalf by the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal, during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. Present were Willis' mother, son, sister-in-law, and grandfather.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on November 5, 1940. He received navy recruit training at Naval Training Station, Norfolk, Virginia and hospital corpsman training at the Norfolk Naval Hospital, Portsmouth, Virginia. In March 1941, Willis was promoted to seaman second class and was briefly assigned to the Naval Hospital, Parris Island, South Carolina, transferring to Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida, in the late spring. In August 1941, he was promoted to hospital apprentice first class and, in December, to pharmacist mate third class. After receiving a promotion to pharmacist mate second class in September 1942, Willis served with Naval Operating Base Units, organizing and training units for overseas service. On July 1, 1943, he was promoted to pharmacist's mate first class. That November, he joined the Training Detachment, Field Medical School Battalion, Fleet Marine Force (FMF) Training Center at Camp Elliott, San Diego, California, transferring in early 1944 to Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 27th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, California.

John Harlan Willis (June 10, 1921 – February 28, 1945) was a United States Navy hospital corpsman who was killed in action during World War II while serving with a Marine Corps rifle company. He was posthumously awarded the nation's highest military decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor, for heroic actions "above and beyond the call of duty" on February 28, 1945, during the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Willis was born on June 10, 1921, in Columbia, Tennessee. He graduated from Columbia Central High School.