George Willis was born in 1839 at Boston, Massachusetts. He enlisted in the US Navy from that state and served in USS Tigress during the search for the missing exploration ship Polaris. When an Arctic gale struck Tigress off Greenland on the night of 22 September 1873, Willis' expert seamanship probably saved his ship. For his "gallant and meritorious conduct" on that occasion, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
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Medal of Honor citation of Coxswain George Willis (as printed in the official publication "Medal of Honor, 1861-1949, The Navy", page 69): |
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Page made 1 May 2006