William Wilson Utley was born on October 16, 1915, in Goodland, Lapeer County, Michigan. He was the son of George T. Utley and Mina May Kipp Utley. He served in the 31st Infantry Regiment as a Private First Class during World War II.

After the fall of Bataan in the hands of the Japanese Army on April 9, 1942, PFC Utley was one of the 10,000 to 12,000 Americans who were forced to march over 60 miles under brutal conditions, resulting in 1,000 to 5,000 deaths due to starvation, dehydration, and abuse. Survivors were sent to Camp O'Donnell, where dire conditions, including overcrowding, malnutrition, and disease, caused an additional 1,500 to 2,300 American deaths within weeks. Those who survived faced ongoing hardships, including transfers to other camps and forced labor, where many continued to suffer or die.

PFC Utley was reported missing and officially declared dead on May 31, 1942. His name is memorialized in the Walls of the Missing in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines.

Source of information: www.livescience.com