WESTFIELD, IN — As Memorial Day weekend wraps up in Indianapolis, some are using the long weekend to reflect.
For many, it is a time to gather with friends and family. However, those like Westfield Mayor Scott Willis, the holiday carries deeper significance, mixing celebration with solemn reflection.
“I spent 30 years in the Marine Corps, spent a combat tour in Iraq. We lost Marines along the way,” said Willis.
“My life's been impacted by not only my service in the military, but my family's service in the military as well," he added.
Memorial Day often triggers a sense of introspection for Willis.
“I tend not to want to be around people,” he reflected.
“There are cookouts, the opening of your pool, friends, and family. But for me, it’s reflection, and it sometimes can be really tough thinking about those, not only my family, but those I served side by side with that didn’t get to come home.”
Willis carries personal memories intertwined with loss, including the legacy of his grandfather, who is considered missing in action.
"He went down over the Pacific on a bombing run over the island of Japan. My dad never met his father.”
Throughout the morning, Willis shared two photo albums covered with dozens of pictures documenting his time in the Marines and his travels that took him around the world.
Some photos brought memories of pain, like a photo that showed what was left of a Humvee hours after being destroyed by an IED.
Others bring feelings of joy, like the photo of Willis embracing his two daughters after returning home for the first time.
"Just raw emotion," Willis explained while looking at the photo of him embracing his wife and two children.
Willis stressed the importance of continued remembrance.
“As time goes on, they forget about that person, and I can assure you 30 years down the line, that loved one is still hurting and still misses that person that didn’t get to come home," Willis explained.
"Be appreciative and reflect on that. I think it's important. We should never forget those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice for us.”
