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William Frederick Simpson, Jr. was born in
Kinston, NC on
January 24, 1945 to William F. Simpson, Sr. and Geraldine S. Simpson.
After graduating from
Pink Hill
High School in 1963 he attended the UNC-Chapel
Hill graduating in 1967 with an A.B. in Political Science.
Shortly thereafter he joined the United States Marine Corps and reported
to Quantico, Va.
for Officers
Candidate School.
Upon completion of OCS he was
commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant and assigned to the
Basic School
for further training with the Class of 8-68. After completion of
the Basic
School curriculum he was granted a 30 day leave and
received orders assigning him to duty with the 9th Marine
Amphibious Brigade headquartered in
Okinawa, Japan.
Within two weeks of his arrival in
Okinawa he received orders to report to the Third Marine Division
headquartered in Dong Ha,
Vietnam. He was assigned to the 3rd
Battalion, Twenty-Sixth Marines as a rifle company platoon commander
with “Mike” Company and subsequently with “Lima”
Company.
His tour of duty while in
Vietnam included combat action against
the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese army, a short stint as Asst. S-1
with battalion headquarters and Executive officer of Battalion
Headquarters and Service Company. He was later transferred back to
Okinawa as Executive Officer of Headquarters and Service
Company, 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade.
While serving in
Viet Nam he received the following
decorations: Bronze Star Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device,
Navy Commendation Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device, USMC Combat
Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal
with 1960 device, Vietnamese Service Medal with three stars, Vietnamese
Cross of Gallantry with palm and frame.
Upon completion of his tour of
duty in Vietnam he
was assigned to “C” Company, 1St. Battalion, 8th
Marines, 2nd Marine Division and stationed at
Camp LeJeune, North Carolina
as Executive Officer. He then was deployed to the
Mediterranean with Battalion Land Team 1/8 for a period of
six months. While deployed he was made Company Commander of “C”
Company and served in that capacity until he was released from active
duty in December, 1970 with the rank of 1st Lieutenant.
He received an Honorable Discharge from the Corps with the rank of
Captain on October 9, 1974.
After being released from active
duty, he knocked around the
United States for approximately two
years before entering Oklahoma City University School of Law in 1972 and
graduated with his J.D. degree in February, 1975. He returned to
Lenoir County
after graduation to open his law practice. He continues to
practice law today but at a more leisurely pace.
His father, William F. Simpson,
Sr. served in WW II with the United States Navy as a naval aviator and
his son, Sergeamt William F. Simpson, III served two tours in
Iraq with the United States Army.
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