The Shadow
Bill Orndorff
Retired Marine
Bill Orndorff
Retired Marine
ENLISTMENT OATH — Capt. Bandike, left, administers the oath of enlistment to Bill Orndorff, center, and Cpl. Morningstar. Orndorff re-enlisted as a Marine in June 1962 at Headquarters Battalion, Henderson Hall in Arlington. He would go on to spend nearly 20 years in the Marine Corps and another 10 years in the Fleet Marine Corps Reserve. (Photo Courtesy Bill Orndorff)
ENLISTMENT OATH — Capt. Bandike, left, administers the oath of enlistment to Bill Orndorff, center, and Cpl. Morningstar. Orndorff re-enlisted as a Marine in June 1962 at Headquarters Battalion, Henderson Hall in Arlington. He would go on to spend nearly 20 years in the Marine Corps and another 10 years in the Fleet Marine Corps Reserve. (Photo Courtesy Bill Orndorff)
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For a career military man, Veterans Day holds special meaning.
Such is the case for Bill Orndorff of Covington.
Many Highlands residents remember Orndorff from his days at the Covington Post Office, but before that, he enjoyed nearly 20 years of service in the Marine Corps — make that 19 years, 10 months and 20 days, to be exact.
Couple that with 10 years of service after he was transferred to the Fleet Marine Corps Reserve, and it equals a total active time of 30 years that finally concluded in 1988.
“I would do it over again,” Orndorff said without hesitation. “It was a good part of my life.”
William R. “Bill” Orndorff Sr. enlisted in the Marines on March 11, 1958 with Wally Snead as part of the Buddy Program.
They left Covington by Greyhound bus and arrived in Richmond at the Armed Forces Examination and Enlistment Station. From Richmond, they traveled by train to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot on Parris Island, S.C., arriving at approximately 1 a.m. on March 12, 1958.
In early June of 1958, Orndorff arrived at Camp Geiger, N.C., for four weeks of guard duty and four weeks of advanced infantry training. Two months later, he was transferred to Head-quarters Battery, 1st Battal-ion, 10th Marines.
In the early stages of his career, Orndorff was on the move a great deal of the time.
In August of 1959, he was transferred to Marine Corps Headquarters in Washing-ton, D.C., and there he experienced one of the highlights of his long career.
On Friday, Jan. 20, 1961, he participated in the inaugural parade for President John F. Kennedy.
Orndorff recalled a bitterly cold day with snow that slowed the procession. Many of their Jeeps ran out of gas, and other vehicles had to be removed from the parade route.
After all the confusion, Orndorff remembers that Willys Jeeps threw the Marines a party in a D.C. hotel.
“I got to meet a lot of people and see a lot of things,” he said. “You were challenged with a lot of tasks.”
After a stint in Washington, Orndorff came back to Virginia. In July 1962, he was transferred to the Inspector-Instructor Staff with the Marine Corps Reserve in Lynchburg.
In July 1965, Orndorff moved across the country to Camp Pendleton in Califor-nia for Advanced Infantry Training, and three months later he was off to Vietnam.
On Oct. 2, 1965, he embarked aboard a ship for Southeast Asia, arriving in Vietnam on Oct. 22, 1965, where he was stationed with the 1st 8” Howitzer Battery, 1st Marine Division.
In October 1966, Orndorff was transferred back to the states to attend Recruiters School at Parris Island.
After six weeks of training, he was moved to the Marine Corps Recruiting Station in Chattanooga, Tenn. Two years later, he was transferred to the Armed Forces Examination and Enlistment Station in Knoxville.
Orndorff received several commendations for his efforts in enlisting new Marines.
Along the way, Orndorff says that the military teaches values and lessons that last a lifetime.
“It teaches you leadership,” he said. “If you are going to stay in, you need to be a leader.”
After spending several years in Tennessee, Orndorff was sent back to Vietnam in November 1969. Upon arriving in Okinawa, Japan, he was told that he was no longer needed in Vietnam, so he spent a year on Okinawa with Headquarters Battery, 12th Marines.
While in Japan, he was assigned to a team that inspected Marine Corps Commands in the Pacific.
In December 1970, Orndorff was transferred back stateside to Marine Corps Headquarters in D.C. where he would spend three years with the Combat Art Section of the Marine Corps Museum.
In January 1974, he was sent to Quantico where he was stationed with Service Company, Marine Corps Development and Education Command.
On January 31, 1978, Orndorff was released with retirement pay after nearly 20 years of active duty, but the decision didn’t come easily. He said he and his wife, June, discussed re-enlisting again because of the many benefits the Marines had to offer.
“It’s a steady job,” he said. “You’re not going to get laid off.”
Nonetheless, Master Sergeant Orndorff chose to leave the Marines. After several civilian jobs, he settled at the Covington Post Office, where he retired as a clerk in June of 2000.
“It matures you,” Orndorff said of his long career with the Marines. “You have a lot of guidance. People are looking out for you and making sure you do the right things.”
A native of Covington, Orndorff is a 1957 graduate of Covington High School. His mother was Dorothy Mundy and Willie Mundy was his stepfather.
He married June Bliss of Clifton Forge on June 6, 1959, and they have three children — William Jr., Lesa Janney and John Orndorff. They also have three grandchildren.
Orndorff said he plans to proudly display his American flag at his Jackson Street home on Veterans Day Tuesday, and he recognizes the importance of this truly American holiday.
“I think it’s something essential to the morale of the men and women in the armed forces,” he said. “It shows that Americans do honor and care about their veterans.”
