#VeteranOfTheDay Marine Veteran William Lee Hall

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Marine Corps Veteran William Lee Hall, who served as a journalist at Camp Lejeune from 1958 to 1962.

William Hall enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1958 and completed basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina. Hall served four years active service at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

During his first year at Camp Lejeune, Hall worked in information services before being assigned to the base newspaper, the Camp Lejeune Globe. He covered off duty hobbies, VIP base visits, and other base news.

Some of Hall’s fondest memories were when he wrote a feature on Orville Jones, the Jeep driver for Lt. Gen. Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller. After he wrote the story, Puller visited the base and asked to meet with Hall. Puller congratulated Hall and said he was very pleased.

Another favorite was when he reported on an inspection. The base’s commanding general asked a private to show him his skivvies; then the private made the same request of the commanding general—and he did. [editor’s note: unfortunately, we don’t have the context or details for why the CG made this peculiar request.]

Hall left active duty in 1962 and then served another four years in the reserves. Later, he was a journalist for the Silver Herald. He credits his military experience for getting him involved in journalism. More of his story can be found at http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.10839/.

Thank you for your service!

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Veterans History Project

This #VeteranOfTheDay profile was created with interviews submitted to the Veterans History Project. The project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of war. Find out more at http://www.loc.gov/vets/.

Contributors

Editor: Leah Comins

Fact checker: Jordan Gossett

Graphic artist: Emma Catlett