Faces Bio

William J. De Lisa was born on March 15, 1947.  His home of record is Long Branch, NJ, where he lived most of his life, until moving to Puerto Rico after his father died.  De Lisa attended Neptune High School. 

De Lisa started at Catholic University in Ponce, Puerto Rico, married his college sweetheart, was drafted into the Army in November 1967, and left for Vietnam in December.  He served in the US Army and attained the rank of Specialist 4 (SP4).

De Lisa was killed in action in Tay Ninh, South Vietnam, on April 12, 1968.  He died as a result of multiple wounds received in a firefight.

William De Lisa's name was added to the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in November 2003, as a result of the efforts of his cousin, Paulette Verrelli.  Verrelli learned that her cousin's name was not on the memorial several years earlier.

Ms. Verrelli took the initiative to gather the required documentation with the help of his sister, Jennifer Robertson, and was able to verify De Lisa's Jersey roots.  De Lisa's name was on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, but his home of record is listed as Puerto Rico, not New Jersey. 

Sources: Paulette Verrelli (cousin) and NJVVMF.