WILLIAM A. COMLY
Home Of Record:
COLLINGSWOOD
County:
Camden
Status:
Killed In Action
Rank:
CPL
Branch Of Service:
Marines
Country Of Incident:
SVN
Date of Casualty:
March 11, 1970
Date of Birth:
March 06, 1950

William Alvin Comly was born on March 6, 1950. His home of record is Collingswood, NJ. He lived in Haddon Township and was a 1968 graduate of Haddon Township High School. “Billy” was a member of the 1968 championship wrestling team and both quarterback and guard on the football team that won first place in the Marine Corps physical fitness meets. In 1966, he won a first place trophy for the Pleasantville 100 mile water-skiing course. William was a member of the 1968 Wildwood Beach Patrol.

Comly enlisted in the US Marine Corps in May 1968, after graduation. During his basic training at Parris Island he was named Honor Man of his platoon. He later received training as a paratrooper. He attained the rank of Corporal (CPL).

Comly was sent to Vietnam in August 1969, and was scheduled to return home during the summer of 1970. He served in the 1st Platoon, G Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division.

On March 11, 1970, at the age of 20, Comly was killed in action.

He is buried in Locustwood Cemetery, Cherry Hill, NJ.

Information from Ruth Comly (mother) and NJVVMF.


MESSAGES LEFT ON THEWALL-USA

** Note that some of these messages are from years ago and their contact information may not be good anymore **

.Bobbi Paul (McCarthy)
cactuslady3357@yahoo.com
lived in neighborhood
PO Box 10882
Glendale, AZ 85318 USA
I always wondered about Bill Comly. We grew up in the same town, blocks from one another but he was so much "older" than I (or so it seemed at the time). I used to walk by his family home on my way to school every day. I knew of them didn't really know them personally. I was in 7th grade when an announcement was made at our school that an alumni had died in the war. I've thought about him and his family and his comrades so many times over the years. I never really understood what was going on at the time I wasn't even a teen yet. And he was only out of his teens by 5 days. Now, I can't seem to get enough information about Vietnam, and what I do find out amazes, scares and saddens me. How could this have happened to so many of our young men? I pray that it never does again. Today is the first time I found this information on Bill Comly and tears form as my heart goes out to him and so many others who gave their lives. You are truly heroes. I don't know that I could ever be so brave. Now that I have my own son, I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like to send a son off to war, let alone not have him return. God bless you all.
Monday, May 28, 2001
 

If you would like to add a story, comment, or contact, please email CCVietnamKIA@gmail.com