It is my sad duty to report that my father, William Edward Pauley, passed away on November 26, 2011. He died peacefully in his sleep. "Bill" Pauley was very proud to have been a past president of the 6th Marine Division Association.

Bill was a scout-sniper in F Company, 2nd Battalion, 29th Marines, 6th Marine Division. He fought in the Okinawa campaign until he was wounded in the battle for Sugar Loaf Hill. Like many combat veterans, he seldom spoke of his wartime experiences. But I know he still grieved over the death of his best friend, Pfc. Maynard Sheldon Bailey, who was killed in that battle and after whom I am named.

I like to think that when my father awoke in the next world, he was 19 years old again and the first thing he saw was Maynard Bailey smiling down at him and giving him a hand up. Semper Fi.