Jack Lilley - USMC 1947-81

Col. Jack Lilley served in both Korea and Vietnam and comes from a military family. His father and uncle served in WWI while his son and grandson followed in his footsteps and both served in the USMC. While serving in Korea, Jack was awarded a Silver Star and during his interview he pointed out that the term "Korean conflict" doesn't sit well with those who served in Korea, "That was not a conflict. That was a war. We were proud of what we did (and what) we accomplished.", said Jack. After serving in Vietnam, where he was awarded a Bronze Star, Jack stayed on active duty for an additional 8 years. Jack is also a Purple Heart recipient who was wounded in action in Korea on the 31st of May 1951 and was recently honored by the Purple Heart Cane Project.