William H. Plackett

Who is William H. Plackett?

William H. Plackett grew up in Paxton, Illinois, and enlisted in the United States Navy on October 18, 1956. As a small boy in the rural town of Paxton, Illinois, William "Bill" Plackett saw lots of soldiers coming back home after WW II, but it was the few sailors returning with their seabags that captured his imagination.

Growing up in Paxton, he did his time as a farm hand, a grocery store clerk, and a pin setter at a bowling alley. But, when he married his childhood sweetheart, Karen Mullinax, he began looking for stability in a career that would offer challenge and educational opportunities. The Navy was his answer.

He enlisted on October 18, 1956. After graduation from boot camp, he began training as a radioman at "A" school in Norfolk, Virginia. His first duty station was with the Naval Control of Shipping Office on Bahrain Island in the Persian Gulf. There, he met Radioman First Class Travis Short.

"The thing that impressed me about Short was the fact that he never stopped trying or buying academically to improve himself," Plackett said. "He started out just about like I did, a non‑high school graduate from a small town. He came into the Navy and with his boot straps, pulled himself up. He made chief and was selected for Limited Duty Officer. He retired as a lieutenant commander. He had a very positive impact on me."