Dear Editor,

This letter is to remember Bill B.B. White, a proud WWII veteran and a part of Shelby County history. Our country is losing so many of our men who put their lives on hold during that terrible war.

For the ones who fought and proudly served our great country, I think we should all take the time to give them the respect they deserve. A full military funeral would have pleased him.

Bill always had his Marine emblem and his tag — once a Marine, always a Marine. For Bill, this was one of the proudest accomplishments of his life. He talked about it often, always with pride. He never complained about the three years he was away from his family. He was a strong man and made the best of a bad situation.

If you lived in Columbiana, you likely knew who Bill White was because he was an unusual man in many ways. He was born to hard-working parents — his father was the sheriff for many years, and his mother raised four children. He always spoke of his parents with pride.

I moved to Columbiana after the war started. I was in class with his brother, Milton, who was too young for the war. Milton went to college and coached football for many years. Another brother, W.B., was also too young for WWII. His sister, Wylodine, taught school in Columbiana after college. She married Elvin Hill, a fine man who still lives in Columbiana.

We all have sad times in our lives and Bill was no exception. He could never accept the death of his beautiful daughter, “Peanut.” He beamed with pride about how beautiful she was and her artistic talent. I could relate to his grief, because I also lost a child. We shared a lot of the same things in life and stayed friends until his death.

Bill was one of a kind. He didn’t let mistakes get him down. He loved pretty women and big cars, and was a great dancer. He knew just how to call people “Darling” — no one could say it like him. I will miss him.

Virginia Hill

Panama City, Fla.