By Willis H.C.R. No. 179
74R11494 T
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-1 WHEREAS, The passing of former Representative Phillip
1-2 LaFrance Willis on 27 January 1995, at the age of 76, has brought a
1-3 great loss to the people of Texas and to the many relatives and
1-4 friends of this World War II hero; and
1-5 WHEREAS, A native Texan, he was born in Kaufman, County, on 2
1-6 August 1918, the son of Alvin Samuel Willis, a school teacher, and
1-7 Eliza Jane Phillips, whose family were early 19th Century settlers
1-8 in Kaufman County; and
1-9 WHEREAS, Upon graduation from the University of North Texas,
1-10 this young Texan entered the USAF Cadet Training School at Randolph
1-11 Field in October, 1940, was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant at Brooks
1-12 Field Class 41F in August, 1941, and was assigned to the USAF,
1-13 Bellows Field, Hawaii; and
1-14 WHEREAS, Phil was to have married his sweetheart Marilyn
1-15 Stubblefield, of San Antonio, Texas, in Hawaii, Christmas, 1941,
1-16 but on December 7th, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and nearby
1-17 air bases, prompting Mr. Willis to help defend his base; and
1-18 WHEREAS, He then flew one of the two planes from Bellows
1-19 Field that became airborne that day; however, his plane was
1-20 destroyed during the second attack; and
1-21 WHEREAS, He was then assigned as ranking officer to a Beach
1-22 Patrol near Pearl Harbor, and on daybreak, 8 December, 1941, Phil
1-23 Willis captured the United States' first Japanese prisoner of war
1-24 in World War II, Naval Lieutenant Kazuo Sakamaki, the surviving
2-1 member of a two-man Japanese suicide submarine caught on a reef;
2-2 and
2-3 WHEREAS, Phil Willis immediately volunteered and became a
2-4 four-engine B-17 Bomber pilot and in June, 1942, during the Battle
2-5 of Midway, he and his crew were credited with sinking a large
2-6 Japanese troop ship, thereby earning the Silver Star for Gallantry
2-7 in Action; and
2-8 WHEREAS, Throughout his military service, Mr. Willis went on
2-9 to receive a plethora of medals and decorations including the
2-10 Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster,
2-11 the Presidential Unit Citation with Oak Leaf Cluster, the World War
2-12 II Victory Medal, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Bronze
2-13 Star, the Air Force Combat Readiness Medal, the Joint Service
2-14 Achievement Medal, and the Pearl Harbor Commemorative Medal, along
2-15 with eight theater and service medals; and
2-16 WHEREAS, Returning to the United States, he married Marilyn
2-17 on 30 August 1943, and the couple were blessed with two beautiful
2-18 daughters, Linda Willis Pipes and Rosemary Wills Roach, and four
2-19 grandchildren; and
2-20 WHEREAS, By the time he was retired for combat disabilities
2-21 from the USAF, he had risen to the rank of major; he was later
2-22 elected, along with his brother, Doyle Willis also a decorated WWII
2-23 veteran, to the Texas Legislature, where both brothers share the
2-24 distinction of being the only siblings to have served two
2-25 consecutive terms together in the Texas House of Representatives;
2-26 and
2-27 WHEREAS, As a member of the Texas Legislature, Mr. Willis
3-1 served with honor and distinction, chairing the Committee on
3-2 Constitutional Amendments and sponsoring several important pieces
3-3 of legislation dealing with agriculture, veterans, education and
3-4 senior citizens; and
3-5 WHEREAS, Upon his retirement from legislative service,
3-6 Mr. Willis settled his family in San Antonio and became President
3-7 and CEO of Phil Willis, Company, a Real Estate Brokerage Company,
3-8 and he was also a Builder and Developer; and
3-9 WHEREAS, Driven by his strong sense of community spirit,
3-10 Mr. Willis served his friends and neighbors in Bexar County as a
3-11 member of the San Antonio Zoning and Planning Commission; the San
3-12 Antonio Board of Realtors; and in 1952, was named the San Antonio
3-13 Junior Chamber of Commerce's Outstanding Young Man; and
3-14 WHEREAS, The 1960s saw the Phil Willis family move to Dallas,
3-15 where Mr. Willis established himself as a real estate broker,
3-16 specializing in farm and ranch land, and served on the Dallas Board
3-17 of Realtors and the Texas Association of Realtors; and
3-18 WHEREAS, Phil Willis, a member of the Christian Church,
3-19 Kaufman, Texas, was also a valued civic leader with memberships in
3-20 the Bloomfield Masonic Lodge No. 112, Kaufman, Texas, the Scottish
3-21 Rite and Hella Temple, Dallas, Texas, a former member of Alzafar
3-22 Shrine and the Mounted Sons of the Desert, San Antonio, Texas; the
3-23 Sons of Confederate War Veterans; the Sons of the Republic of
3-24 Texas; was a close friend of United States Speaker Sam Rayburn; and
3-25 presided as Precinct Election Judge in the Democratic Party.
3-26 People said Phil Willis was "A democrat without prefixes, suffixes
3-27 or apologies," and
4-1 WHEREAS, Phil was also a member of various veterans
4-2 organizations, including the American Legion Post #0165, Kaufman,
4-3 Texas, a Life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #6796,
4-4 Dallas, Texas; Life member and served as President of the North
4-5 Texas Chapter 4 of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association; The
4-6 Greater Dallas Veterans Council, The Retired Officers Association,
4-7 The Greater Dallas Retired Officers Association; The 31st Bomb
4-8 Squadron (H), the 11th Bomb Group (H), the 5th Bomb Group (H)
4-9 Association, Inc., and the Military Order of the World Wars
4-10 WHEREAS, Throughout his life, Phillip LaFrance Willis earned
4-11 the respect and of all who were knew him; a man of great character,
4-12 determination, and courage, his memory will live on for years to
4-13 come through the lasting legacy of achievement he leaves behind;
4-14 now, therefore, be it
4-15 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
4-16 hereby pay tribute to the life and service of the Honorable Phillip
4-17 LaFrance Willis, and extend deepest sympathy to his wife of 51
4-18 years, Marilyn Willis, and extend deepest sympathy to his children,
4-19 Linda Willis Pipes and Rosemary Willis Roach, and extend deepest
4-20 condolences to his brother and our esteemed colleague, the
4-21 Honorable Doyle Willis; and be it further
4-22 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
4-23 prepared for the members of his family and that when the Texas
4-24 House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of a
4-25 former esteemed colleague, Phillip LaFrance Willis.